Rep. Ritchie Torres Wasn’t Deterred by the Chaos on Capitol Hill

“I never thought, as a newly sworn-in Congressman, that I would live through a violent assault on the US Capitol,” said the first-time elected official, Rep. Ritchie Torres.

On Jan. 3, Democrat Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York was sworn into office. Three days later, his new workplace, the Capitol, came under attack by Trump extremists. On his official first week on the job, Rep. Torres had no time to get acquainted with life on Capitol Hill. He went straight to work. 

“Life never unfolds quite as you imagine it,” Rep. Torres tweeted after he and his staff evacuated their offices. “I never thought, as a newly sworn-in Congressman, that I would live through a violent assault on the US Capitol during an electoral college vote count. @realDonaldTrump has managed to make the unimaginable a reality.”

Rep. Torres and his fellow Democrats pushed to impeach President Donald Trump, charging him with “incitement of insurrection.” The impeachment resolution could go to a vote by midweek. First, Democrats called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office before Jan. 20, when Democrat Joe Biden is to be inaugurated.

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Rep. Torres, a 32-year-old Afro-Latino representing New York’s 15th Congressional District, said he would go further and introduce legislation aimed at rioters seen on Jan. 6 overtaking Capitol Hill.

“I am going to introduce legislation aimed at combating the epidemic of right-wing extremism in law enforcement,” he tweeted. “The siege on the Capitol appears to have been aided by extremists in law enforcement.”

On Instagram, Rep. Torres informed his constituents and followers that in his first week in office, he:

• Had signed H.Res 14 to hold President Trump accountable for attempting to overturn presidential votes in Georgia.
• Advocated for the impeachment and removal of the president by invoking the 25th Amendment.
• Signed Bill H.R. 51, which if passed, would make Washington DC, a state.

Aside from calling out Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley (as his fellow Democrats have as well) for their involvement in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, sending out fundraising emails during the attack at Capitol Hill, and sending their support to the right-wing extremists, Rep. Torres also called out Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks for lending his support to domestic terrorists. 

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“Add @RepMoBrooks to the list of elected officials who should resign or be expelled,” Torres tweeted. “Anyone who incites an armed mob to ‘kick ass’ has no business being a Member of Congress.”