An Open Letter from Congressional Staff to Senate
We are staff who work for members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, where it is our honor and privilege to serve our country and our fellow Americans. We write this letter to share our own views and experiences, not the views of our employers. But on January 6, 2021, our workplace was attacked by a violent mob trying to stop the electoral college vote count. That mob was incited by former president Donald J. Trump and his political allies, some of whom we pass every day in the hallways at work.
Many of us attended school in the post-Columbine era and were trained to respond to active shooter situations in our classrooms. As the mob smashed through Capitol Police barricades, broke doors and windows, and charged into the Capitol with body armor and weapons, many of us hid behind chairs and under desks or barricaded ourselves in offices. Others watched on TV and frantically tried to reach bosses and colleagues as they fled for their lives.
On January 6, the former President broke America’s 230-year legacy of the peaceful transition of power when he incited a mob to disrupt the counting of electoral college votes. Six people died. A Capitol Police officer—one of our co-workers who guards and greets us every day—was beaten to death. The attack on our workplace was inspired by lies told by the former president and others about the results of the election in a baseless, months-long effort to reject votes lawfully cast by the American people.
Our Constitution only works when we believe in it and defend it. It’s a shared commitment to equal justice, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of our differences. Any person who doesn’t share these beliefs has no place representing the American people, now or in the future. The use of violence and lies to overturn an election is not worthy of debate. Either you stand with the republic or against it.
As Congressional employees, we don’t have a vote on whether to convict Donald J. Trump for his role in inciting the violent attack at the Capitol, but our Senators do. And for our sake, and the sake of the country, we ask that they vote to convict the former president and bar him from ever holding office again.
Signed,
Aaron Fritschner
Aaron Johnson
Aaron M. LaSure
Abigail Hewins
Adam Comis
Adam R. Spangler
Adam Taylor
Adam Veale
Adzua Agyapon
Aissa Canchola
Akolade Gbadamosi
Alan McQuinn
Alex Guajardo
Alex Karabatsos
Alex Marston
Alex Molina
Alex Sarabia
Alexa Marquez
Alexa Sledge
Alexander Gristina
Alexander Loewi
Alexander Urry
Alexandra Estrada
Alexandra Schnelle
Alexandra Yiannoutsos
Alexis C. MacDonald
Ali Vangrow
Alisa La
Allan Rodriguez
Allison Blankenship
Allison Lukas
Aly DeWills-Marcano
Alyssa Mendez
Alyssa Mendez
Amanda J Quesada
Amanda Yanchury
Amy Fischer
Amy Kuhn
Amy Soenksen
Ana Wolken
Andi McIver
Andre Earls
Andrea N. Goldstein
Andres William Bascumbe
Andrew Goddeeris
Andrew Myslik
Andrew Noh
Aneeb Sheikh
Angele Russell
Angelica Duque
Angie Wells
Anissa Z. Caldwell
Anne Feldman
Anne Wick
Annetta Joyce
Annmarie Goyzueta
Anthony Barnes
Anthony Bellmon
Anthony Lemma
Anuj Gupta
Aria Kovalovich
Arielle Devorah
Art Motta
Artin Haghshenas
Asha Samuel
Ashlee Nichole Rossler
Ashlee Wilkins
Ashley Kimberly Williams
Avery Bonifati
Barbara Hamlett
Beatrix M. Dalton
Ben Kamens
Ben Rutan
Ben Turner
Ben Wolff
Benito Torres Jr.
Benjamin Bernier
Bernadine Stallings
Blake Bibbs
Blair Wriston
Brad Korten
Brandon Garay
Brandon Mendoza
Brendan Greenlee
Brett Fulcer
Brianna Patterson
Bridget Hogan
Brigid Campbell
Brittan Robinson
Brittany Carr
Bryce Causey
Caleigh Lynch
Carianne Lee
Carlos Murillo Villasenor
Carmen Palumbo
Caroline Ramos
Carolyn Olortegui
Carrick Heilferty
Cassie Winters
Catherine Anderson
Caty Payette
Cesar Solis
Chandler Mason
Chelsea Alatriste Martinez
Chelsea Rivas
Chloe Brown
Chloe Kessock
Chris Gibson
Chris McCarthy
Christa Burton
Christian Seasholtz
Christian Unkenholz
Christopher Nguyen
Christopher Williams
Cindy M. Buhl
Cindy Matos Beltre
Clarissa Rojas
Cody Sibulo
Cole A. Baker
Colin Pio
Colleen Eagen Gerrity
Collin Davenport
Connor McNutt
Connor Vargo
Cori Duggins
Corinne Paul
Courtney Callejas
Courtney Cochran
Courtney Hruska
Courtney Koelbel
Courtney Neale
Courtney Rogers
Cyré Velez
Dan Riffle
Dana Hanson
Daniel Gleick
Daniel Holt
Daniel Maher
Daniela Contreras
Daniela Valles
Danielle Fulfs
Danielle Sumner
David Lucas
David Sanchez
David Todisco
Dayanara Ramirez
Denzel McCampbell
Devin Kelsey
Diala Qasem
Diane Dewhirst
Dr. Heather O’Beirne Kelly
Drew Hammill
Dylan McGowan
Eddie Meyer
Eduardo N. Lerma, Jr.
Edwin Sevilla
Eleanor Trenary
Elena Radding
Elizabeth Austin-Mackenzie
Elizabeth Kulig
Elizabeth Lopez-Sandoval
Eloise Melcher
Elyse Schupak
Emilie Simons
Emily Amador
Emily Druckman
Emily Lande-Rose
Emily Loya
Emily Morrison
Emma Kaplan
Emma Norman
Emma Zafran
Erin Melody
Eva Naomi Gutierrez
Evan Brooks
Evan Brooks
Evan Giesemann
Evan P Dale
Fabiola Pagán Meléndez
Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampol
Frederick Castro
Gabby Richards
Gabrielle Howard
Gail Chaney Kalinich
George “Stephen” Williams, Jr.
George Flynn
George R. Robinson III
Gloria Nlewedim
Grace Rubinger
Greg Claus
Griffin M. Anderson
Haiya Kofler
Haiya Kofler
Hannah Ceja
Hannah Crook
Hannah Melissa Borja
Hannah Weinerman
Hans Leisman
Harden Spencer
Harsh Deshmukh
Heather Boyd
Hector Colón
Helen Beaudreau
Humberto Ramos
Hussain Altamimi
Ingrid Gavin Parks
Ingrid Gavin Parks
Isabelle Bock
Isis Lopez
Jabir A. McKnight
Jack Besser
Jack Gebbia
Jack Stelzner
Jacklyn Rogers
Jackson Richard Thein
Jacqueline A. Sanchez
Jae’Von McClain
Jaime Cobham
Jaime Lizárraga
Jaimee Gilmartin
Jake Lemons
Jakub Lis
Jamari Torrence
James DeAtley
James E. McFeely
James Marrow
Jamie Smith
Janie Thompson
Jasi Edwards
Jasleen Vig
Jason Nerad
Jason Tufele Carl Johnson
Jed Ober
Jen Fox
Jenna Jaffe
Jennifer Bell
Jennifer Chandler
Jeren Totten
Jermaine Simmons
Jesse Malowitz
Jessica Andino
Jessica Hernandez
Jessica Mulligan
Jessica Pedroza
Jessica Valdez
Jessie Durrett
Jill Hirsch
Johana Mata
John A. Cruz-Olivari
John Chapa Gorczynski
John Doty
John Swords
John Swords
Johnathan Garza
Joicelynne Jackson
Jona Koka
Jonathan Arthur Rowles
Jonathan Nwaru
Jonathan Rayner
Jordan Dashow
Jordan Evans
Jordan J. Lewis
Jose Garcia
Jose Garcia
Joseph Costello
Joseph Valente
Josh Richman
Josie Feron
Joy A. Hamer
Juan Romero-Casillas
Julia Albertson
Julia Kravitz
Julian Gerson
Julie Jochem
Julie Tagen
Justin McCartney
Justine Liebenson
K’Yetta McKinney
Kaozouapa E Lee
Kat Cosgrove
Kate Brescia
Kate Stotesbery
Katharine Nasielski
Katherine Ambrose
Kathryn Alexander
Katie Worley
Katrina Martell
Kelli Scott
Kelly Hennessy
Kelly L. Bovio
Kelsey Smith
Kendra Wood
Kenneth Russell DeGraff
Kevin Figueroa
Kevin ONeil
Kevin Vargas
Kiara Tringali
Kichelle Webster
Kierstin Stradford
Kimberly Stanton
Kimiko Hirota
Kira Floersheim
Koh Chiba
Koray Rosati
Kory Haywood
Kristi Black
Kristin Kopshever
Kristina Broadie Jeter
Kurtis Miller
Kyle McKenney
Kylie Capenter
Lale M. Morrison
Lana Abbasi
Lana Westfall Marro
Landers Mayer
Lanette García
Larissa Richardson
Laura Brantley
Laura Ellen Schock
Laura Forero
Lauran Pauley
Lauren Covington
Lauren Geiser
Lauren Linsmayer
Lauren Meininger
LaVontae Brooks
Leah Li
Leigh Whittaker
Leslie Doyle
Leslie Merrill
Leslie Zwicker
Liam McCaffery
Libby Wiet
Lillian Adelstein
Lily Fitzpatrick
Lisa Pahel
Lisa Tencer
Lucia Rodriguez
Lucy Koch
Lucy Shaw
Luis Zegarra
Maeve Dolan
Maggie Harden
Malcolm Yates
Mara Kelly
Marcus Garza
Marcus Wright
Maria Camila Gomez Osorio
Maria Di Leone
Maria Martirosyan
Maria Martirosyan
Maria Oparil
Maria Robayo
Mariam Jalloul
Marilyn Dillihay
Marissa Barrera
Mark A. Hinson
Marlon Dubuisson
Martha Sanchez
Maru Vazquez
Maryah Thompson
Matilda Bress
Matt Corridoni
Matt Crescenzo
Matt Jansen
Matt Sonneborn
Matt Verghese
Matthew A. Ceja
Matthew Bonaccorsi
Matthew E. Fried
Matthew Holcombe
Matthew Morgan
Matthew Steil
Maureen Acero
Max Frankel
Maytham Alshadood
Meaghan Johnson
Meg Spencer
Megan Ruane
Melanee Farrah
Mia Ehrenberg
Mia Robertson
Micaiah Thomas
Michael Cobb
Michael Harris
Michael Lawson
Michael Zetts
Michele Lockman
Michelle Sánchez
Miguel Ayala
Mike Lucier
Mike Shanahan
Moh Sharma
Molly Cole
Molly Rose Tarpey
Monica Sanchez
Montana Miller
Mustafa Alemi
Natalie C. Adams
Natasha Dabrowski
Nate Riggins
Nawaid Ladak
Nichelle Schoultz
Nick Burroughs
Nickolas Gabriel
Nicolás Ballón
Noah Simon
Numa St. Louis
Olga Avant-Mier
Oliver Edelson
Olivia Byrd
Pam Trinward
Pat Mullane
Patricia Ann Hood
Patrick Boland
Patrick Carroll
Patrick Koetzle
Paula McKinney-Rainey
Peggy Gustave
Peyton Wilmer
Philip Bennett
Phoebe Nassar
Pierre Whatley
Pilar Lugo
Priyanka Hooghan
Quinton Johnson
Rachel Dembo
Rachel Jenkins
Rachel Montoya
Raman Khanna
Randy Love
Raven Martin
Rebecca Eichmann
Rebecca Perez
Rebecca R. Kelly
Rebekah Eskandani
Reecha Patel
Remmington F. Belford
Rex Dyer
Rhonda Craig
Ricardo A. Sanchez
Ricardo Martinez
Rich Luchette
Rita L. Waters
Robert Atterbury
Robert Julien
Robert M. Gottheim
Robert Montgomery
Robert W Evans III
Roberto E. Vélez Rodríguez
Rogelio Suchite
Rona Sayed
Ronald F. Eckstein
Rosario Duran
Rotimi Adeoye
Ruth Blondell Riley
Ryan A. Washington
Ryan Early
Ryan Morgan
Ryan Morgan
Rylee Stirn
Saira Bhatti
Sam Morgante
Samantha Brown
Samara Sheff
Sammi Goldsmith
Samuel R. Spencer IV
Sara Barber
Sara Guerrero
Sara Palasits
Sarah Dean
Sarah Mulero
Saul Levin
Scott Balough
Scott Heppard
Scott R. Nelson, Ph.D.
Sean F. Lowe
Serena Li
Shadawn Reddick-Smith
Shalini Gagliardi
Shane T. Smith
Sharon Eliza Nichols
Shawn M. Meredith
Shivani Pampati
Sid Ravishankar
Sierra Kelley-Chung
Sonia C. Norton
Sool Abdirahman
Sophia Schilling
Stephanie Herndon
Stephany Ospino
Steven Ortega
Stuart Malec
Stuart Styron
Sullivan Gassmann
T. Scott Harris
Talía Glass
Talia Marcus
Talia Rosen
Tamara P Zapata
Tara Jordan
Tara Rountree
Tara Rountree
Taylor Abbruzzese
Tendrina Alexandre
Thelma Teresa Carrera
Theodore Steinberg
Thomas J. Story
Tim Biba
Tim Mack
Tim McWade
Todd Stein
Tommy Brown
Toni Dunbar
Tory Scordato
Udit Thakur
Vandeth Sek
Veronica L. Eligan
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Victoria Graham
Victoria Oms
Wendy Ginsberg
Whitley O’Neal
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Will McCullough
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Xiao Shan Susan Liu
Yael Velvel
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