by Evan Stambaugh
Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota is one of three congressmen who intend to spearhead a bill enacting the observance of “Democracy Day” every Jan. 6.
According to a news release last Friday, Phillips will join Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado and Dan Goldman of New York in introducing a resolution to “permanently designate January 6th as ‘Democracy Day.’”
The proposed idea, ostensibly supported by more than two dozen politicians, would encourage “state and local governments” and “civil and educational authorities” to “observe the day with programs and activities” that celebrate “successful and democratic transitions of presidential power.”
On Jan. 6, 2021, demonstrators stormed the U.S. Capitol during a “Stop the Steal” rally protesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. The mainstream media and many lawmakers have frequently referred to the riot as an “insurrection,” though many have questioned the alleged role of FBI agents and informants in stoking the violence.
Rep. Goldman of New York, a freshman congressman, said the implementation of “Democracy Day” is a “necessary step” and claimed the Republican Party is still gripped by “the forces of authoritarian extremism.”
In a statement of his own, Phillips called the storming of the Capitol two years ago “one of the darkest days in our nation’s history.”
“We can’t allow future generations to forget what happened here in the U.S. Capitol,” he said. “I am leading this resolution to designate January 6th as ‘Democracy Day’ so that the American people never forget how fragile our democracy is and the vigilance required to maintain it.”
In May the Democratic congressman came under fire for comparing Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke to the young demonstrator who famously stood in the way of four tanks in Beijing, China, during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.
Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district, won reelection handily this past November and now serves in leadership for House Democrats.
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Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy.
Photo “Dean Phillips” by Rep. Dean Phillips.
