NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana's congressmen were not all in agreement to confirm or reject the election results, but they were in agreement on condemning the violence they witnessed firsthand on Capitol Hill.
"Absolutely entirely inappropriate, inexcusable, and these people need to be held accountable for their actions,” said Rep. Garret Graves (R) representing District 6. “It was really disturbing to see folks get as riled up as they did and I want to be clear, that includes the inappropriate actions and words of the president yesterday. Those were inexcusable, they were not presidential.”
Senator Bill Cassidy (R) took pictures of the damage he posted on Twitter. He told Fox New Channel on Thursday that congress reconvened despite the attack.
“We certified the electoral college votes, our democracy works, and no matter what these insurrectionists attempted to do, they failed. Our country's institutions were stronger than them,” Cassidy said.
Senator John Kennedy sent a statement Thursday calling the events 'despicable' and 'shameful'.
"I think all of us need to condemn this is the strongest terms," said Rep. Steve Scalise (R) on Wednesday night.
Five of Louisiana's congressmen voted to overturn election results in at least one state. Rep. Graves voted to overturn Pennsylvania's results, but he said now it's time to move forward peacefully.
“I don’t necessarily like the outcome of the presidential election, but I’m going to respect it. We've been through every step, nearly 60 court cases, votes in the U.S. Congress, and this is the outcome under our system,” Rep. Graves said. “Is the system perfect? No. Do we need to work to perfect it and eliminate voter fraud? Absolutely, but this is the decision that our process yielded and we need to respect it and move forward.”
Senator Kennedy objected to the election's certification. “Most Louisianians get up every day, go to work, obey the law, pay their taxes and try to do right by their kids. They would never join a mob. They care about election integrity, and many are concerned about irregularities surrounding the Nov. 3 election. I came to the Capitol yesterday to give them a voice. I joined several Senate colleagues in calling for a bipartisan commission to inspect election issues raised across the country. Our proposal was not successful, but our goal to ensure full confidence and transparency in our elections—for all Americans—is a noble one, and I’ll keep pursuing it.”
Thursday morning, President Trump committed to an orderly transition on Inauguration Day.
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