Rep. Jason Crow Introduces Pro-Democracy Initiatives On Anniversary Of Jan. 6 Insurrection

By Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline

January 6, 2022

One year after the violent insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, Rep. Jason Crow is rolling out three initiatives that he hopes will reaffirm American democratic values.

“We really are at a crossroads at this moment in our history,” Crow said in a call with reporters on Wednesday. “Really, it’s calling for action by all concerned citizens — by all Americans — to reaffirm our commitment to democracy.

Crow, an Aurora Democrat who represents Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, was trapped in the gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives when violent Trump supporters breached the building in an effort to stop the election certification process. The Army veteran said he has spent the last year reflecting on the division, disinformation and violent extremism that led to the attack and the lingering conspiracy that President Joe Biden stole the 2020 election.

His office worked with groups around the country to put together a Democracy in Action Toolkit that will give people suggestions for steps they can take to “reaffirm their commitment to our democracy, to re-engage with our democracy and take concrete steps to show that we are willing to stand up and fight for American democracy.”

He said the resulting engagement and discussion will show that “our democracy will be reinvigorated ultimately not in Washington, D.C., but on main streets and in diners and at neighborhood barbecues around the nation.”

Additionally, Crow will introduce a resolution in the House to designate Jan. 6 as Democracy Day with Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and preside over testimonials on Thursday from his colleagues about their experiences during the insurrection.

It’s part of a new philosophy of American patriotism that Crow wants to pursue — one he said should be rooted in honesty about past failures and future potential.

“No organization, no family and certainly no country has ever overcome challenges by self-blinding itself to the challenges it faces and the things it needs to fix,” he said.

“I firmly believe that there is strength in honesty, that there is strength in having a conversation as a country that we’ve never had before. What are the conditions that led us to where we are now? How can we be honest about that and how can we move forward?”

Democracy functions only when people have access to reliable information about government and society. Colorado Newsline’s mission is to be a trusted source of such information. Newsline is nonprofit, nonpartisan and independent, and it provides fair and accurate reporting on politics, policy and other stories of interest to Colorado readers