Today’s inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was an “historic moment, a celebration of who we are as a country, and a critical call for unity” said U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, who was among those who attended the event.
“President Joe Biden set the tone for the work before us: to rebuild from a place of common ground despite unprecedented polarization and a generational crisis,” Slotkin said in a statement. “Vice President Kamala Harris inspired hope and pride in people across the country and the world, making history as the first woman, African American, and South Asian American to be sworn into the second-highest office in the land.”
Slotkin said the day is also significant as the transition of power from one administration to the next, and its importance in the wake of attempts to overturn the will of the people.
“The continuous, compounding, at times violent attempts to undermine our country’s fundamental promise — that the people will choose who represents them — failed,” Slotkin said. “Not because our institutions are invincible on their own, but because our democracy is strong and Americans are willing to stand up for our founding principles.
“We witnessed an orderly transition of power today because ordinary citizens — local clerks, boards of canvassers, Secretaries of State, Capitol Police officers, military officers, Republican and Democrat-appointed judges, and brave Republican elected officials — didn’t let politics detract from their duty to their country. Democracy is fragile, and it demands our care and attention. Today’s victory for democracy doesn’t absolve us of that ongoing responsibility –– it proves it.”
“As President Biden said today, ‘With unity, we can do great things, important things… We can see each other, not as adversaries, but as neighbors. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature.’
“Now, the hardest work of all begins: rebuilding, figuring out how we work together again, how we grow back the connective tissue within our communities –– and crucially, how we pass legislation that makes a positive, affirmative difference in people’s lives,” Slotkin said. “I congratulate the President and Vice President on their successful inauguration, thank them for their leadership in setting a unifying tone for the country, and look forward to the work on behalf of Michigan families that lies ahead.”
Photo: U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, right, and her husband, Dave Moore, at the inauguration of President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
