Among lawmakers opposing Biden’s certification was Republican Rep. Roger Williams, a Texas dealer. Following a heated confrontation between Democratic and GOP members on the House floor during the debate over Pennsylvania’s votes, according to a report by The Washington Post, Williams said: “I’m not ashamed, and neither are my colleagues. We’re actually proud of what we’re doing over here.”
But a growing number of lawmakers last week called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment or be impeached.
A day after the chaotic incident, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced her resignation, effective Monday, Jan. 11, citing the “traumatic and entirely avoidable” actions of Trump supporters at the Capitol.
“It has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside,” Chao said in a statement.
In remarks last week, Biden called it “one of the darkest days in the history of our nation” and “an unprecedented assault on our democracy.”
While the country remains politically divided, auto executives and leading industry groups called for unity.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra via Twitter urged the nation to “come together as a country and reinforce the values and ideals that unite us.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley, in a tweet, also condemned the “violent and antidemocratic actions.”
In a message to employees, Farley and Executive Chairman Bill Ford said they watched the images coming from the Capitol “in complete disbelief.”
“There are no easy lessons to learn from this moment,” they said.
The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association and the National Association of Manufacturers also spoke out against the Capitol siege, each in strongly worded statements.
UAW President Rory Gamble referred to the incident as a “very sad day for our nation and our democracy” and condemned the violence at the Capitol that left at least five people dead.
“This is a day none of us should or will ever forget,” he said. “But please let us remember that there is much work to be done — and we must take the personal responsibility to do it together.”
