Congressman Tom Reed, (R-Corning), gave an emotional speech in the Capitol on Wednesday night when he crossed the aisle in the House to the Democratic side to oppose Republican objections to the electoral votes in Arizona.
“Madam Speaker, I come to this side of the aisle as a proud Republican, but most importantly, as a proud American. today we saw an assault on our democracy,” Reed said as he stood near his Democratic co-chair in the Problem Solvers Caucus, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey.
Reed said that he would fight for Republican ideas that he holds "near and dear," but in terms of the rioting that took place on Wednesday, Reed said, "What we saw today was not American, and what we see tonight in this body shall be what we do in America and that is to transfer power in a peaceful way.”
The Problem Solvers Caucus released this statement:
“The behavior we witnessed in the U.S. Capitol is entirely un-American. this was not a peaceful protest – this was an insurrection. These individuals should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The American people can rest assured that we will finish our work, certify the results of the 2020 election, and ensure a peaceful transition of power. Our democracy is stronger than the destructive behavior of any mob and will survive today’s egregious behavior.”
