SACRAMENTO, CA — Assemblymember Marc Levine (D – Marin County) today introduced a House Resolution, which would permanently ban the 147 Members of Congress who voted to overturn the free, fair and legitimate election of Joseph R. Biden and Kamala D. Harris as President and Vice President of the United States of America in 2020 from the privilege of access to the floor in the Chamber of the California State Assembly.
On January 6, 2021, a violent insurrection by domestic terrorists invaded the United States Capitol. These terrorists sought to kidnap and murder Members of Congress, Vice President Mike Pence, members of law enforcement and others. Some of the armed terrorists were able to enter the US Senate Chamber, while other domestic terrorists entered into an armed standoff with law enforcement in an attempt to enter the US House Chamber.
After the insurrection was defeated, 147 Members of Congress still voted to disenfranchise millions of Americans who cast legal ballots in the 2020 presidential election when they objected to the valid results of the Electoral College. The actions by these Members of the United States Congress are inconsistent with the principles of our democracy and the oath of office each of these individuals took to protect and defend the United States Constitution.
“The California State Assembly Chambers is a sacred shrine of our democracy,” said Assemblymember Levine. “Access to the floor of the State Assembly is a privilege, a solemn space, whose actions require respect and adherence to our democratic values and the rule of law.”
“The 147 Members of Congress who objected to the results of the 2020 Electoral College not only defied the will of the American voters, they defied their oath to the US Constitution,” added Levine. “Permanently banning these 147 Members of Congress from access to the floor of the State Assembly Chamber is a modest action, but an important one to protect the sanctity of our representative democracy, our democratic institutions and reaffirm our allegiance to the Constitution and rule of law.”
The Assembly historically grants former state legislators unfettered access to the Assembly floor out of deference to their service. This resolution would end this practice by explicitly banning former state legislators, now Members of Congress, who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and California Congressmembers Doug LaMalfa and Jay Obernolte from the Assembly floor. Their actions and the actions of the 144 other Members of Congress who attempted to undermine our democracy must not go without account and those who sought to disenfranchise millions of American voters must not be heralded as heroes inside one of California’s most sacred democratic institutions.
Levine’s House Resolution will be considered by the State Assembly in the coming days.
Assemblymember Marc Levine represents California’s 10th Assembly District, which includes Marin and Sonoma counties. Connect with Assemblymember Levine on social media: @AsmMarcLevine.