The world watches in awe when Americans vote and engage in a peaceful transition of power every four years, especially when we elect a President. We set the example for other nations to follow. What is occurring in Washington is not how our country holds elections.

The result of this election was clear – former Vice-President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was elected President and Senator Kamala Harris was elected Vice-President. These are not abstract ideas; they are facts.

Today’s events in our Nation’s capital are antithetical to the principles that our democracy was built upon. The Electoral College has voted and awarded the votes as their state’s citizens cast.

We firmly believe in the first amendment and the right to assemble in peaceful protest. Storming the United States Capitol Building is not peaceful. We fervently condemn these actions.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Tonight, we rise together and say, ‘enough.’

Enough of hate-filled rhetoric that is unproductive, irresponsible, and unpresidential from the sitting President of the United States. Enough of disinformation campaigns on social media. Enough of doubting the will of the American People — who risked their lives to cast their ballots in this monumental election.

We are better than this. We are hopeful that the violence will end and that peace will be restored.

Until then, we will keep our Nation’s Capital, its residents, law enforcement, journalists, and especially our own Rhode Island delegation and their staffers, in our thoughts and prayers.