Sierra Club Calls for Expulsion of Hawley
Missouri Sierra Club calls for Congresspeople and Senators who incited violence at Capitol to be removed from office
Monday, January 11, 2021
On Wednesday January 6, 2021, Missourians watched in horror as violent, armed white supremacists stormed the Capitol and attempted to overthrow our democracy. The deadly attempted coup was the culmination of years of racism, hatred, white supremacist propaganda and lies from elected officials, media, and others in positions of power.
Just hours after the same violence that killed several and desecrated the Capitol, we watched as Senator Josh Hawley doubled down and repeated the same lies in an attempt to overturn a free and fair election. This is unacceptable.
We remain committed to fighting for an equitable and resilient democracy as a crucial aspect of our mission to restore the right to clean air, clean water, and a sustainable, healthy climate for every American.
Josh Hawley is a threat to our democracy and must be expelled from office immediately. Hawley’s statements to Missourians and the American people about the Pennsylvania election have been called “shameless lies” and “baseless” by the Pennsylvania Governor. Hawley’s arguments on the Senate floor were a desperate attempt to subvert the will of the people and keep the Republican Party in power. Indeed, in a now viral photo, Hawley can be seen urging on the same protestors who later broke through windows and barricades, vandalized and stole property, and resulted in multiple deaths. He continued to tell these lies even after the attempted coup that put the lives of his colleagues, his staff and our democracy in danger.
Enough is enough. Sierra Club supports Congresswoman Cori Bush’s resolution that calls for the expulsion of Senator Josh Hawley as well as the five Congresspeople in Missouri who supported his actions: Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, Congressman Sam Graves, Congressman Billy Long, and Congressman Jason Smith.
We must refuse to allow Hawley and the five Congresspeople from Missouri who were proud accomplices in sowing the seeds of the insurrection to represent our state and our interests. These elected officials have proven they are unworthy for the task. There is no middle ground nor unity with people who are willing to destabilize our country for their own selfish desires. We cannot move forward without demanding accountability of elected officials who support and encourage white supremacy and facism.
We must protect our democracy and move our country forward. We must hold our elected officials accountable for their words and actions. We must take quick and decisive action to show that inciting violence is unacceptable. If we fail to hold Josh Hawley, Donald Trump, and the members of congress who voted to promote lies and sedition accountable, they, and others like them, will continue. We cannot let that happen. We cannot have unity without accountability.