Welch: “All of us must condemn every act of violence that tears at the fabric of our society and is absolutely, totally corrosive to our democracy.”  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, pushed back on the Republican majority’s false narrative of ‘one-sided’ political violence during a Subcommittee hearing titled “Politically Violent Attacks: A Threat to Our Constitutional Order.” In his remarks, Senator Welch called on both parties to strongly condemn all politically-motivated attacks and renew a bipartisan commitment to civility.  

“I just want to make it clear I am absolutely horrified by political violence in this country,” said Senator Welch. “I want to say this: the stakes are really too high for the American people and the health of our democracy to use this hearing as an opportunity to demonize one side or the other. If all violence—all political violence—is wrong, is evil, is corrosive, the debate about where there’s more on one side or the other, I don’t see how that helps us get anywhere. Politicizing violence with inflammatory rhetoric has real consequences. So, all of us have to turn that temperature down, those of us who are in public office, those of us who are in public life.” 

Watch Senator Welch’s full remarks below: 

Read and download Senator Welch’s full opening remarks as delivered.  

In one exchange, following Officer Hodges’ testimony describing his experience defending the United States Capitol against the violent insurrection on January 6, 2021, Senator Welch asked the other hearing witnesses to raise their hands if they agreed with President Trump’s pardoning of individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Every Majority witness raised their hands in support of President Trump’s blanket pardon of January 6 rioters. 

Witnesses for the Minority included Officer Daniel Hodges, an officer with Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department since 2014, who defended the United States Capitol against the violent insurrection on January 6, 2021, and was injured in the attack. Officer Hodges was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Biden in 2023. The Committee also heard testimony from Bill Braniff, a respected leader in America’s efforts to prevent violent extremism and the Executive Director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL) in the School of Public Affairs at American University.  

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