Congress certified President-elect Donald Trump as the winner of the 2024 election in proceedings Monday that unfolded without challenge, in stark contrast to the Jan. 6, 2021, violence as a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash. 7) told KIRO Newsradio’s Aaron Granillo that it was a “difficult day,” but that a peaceful transfer of power is the correct way to proceed in a democracy.
Lawmakers convened under heavy security and a winter snowstorm to meet the date required by law to certify the election. Layers of tall black fences flanked the Capitol complex in a stark reminder of what happened four years ago, when a defeated Trump sent rallygoers to “fight like hell” in what became the most gruesome attack on the seat of American democracy in 200 years.
The whole process concluded swiftly and without unrest. One by one, a tally of the electoral votes from each state was read aloud to polite applause in the House; no one objected, and the results were certified.
Granillo interviewed Jayapal on Monday. Below is both an audio recording and a transcription of that interview.
Aaron Granillo, KIRO Newsradio: We’ll just start off with general thoughts on the day that was in Congress.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash. 7): Well, I think this is a difficult day for many of us. A lot of mixed emotions, obviously, because four years ago, when we thought we were coming to peacefully transfer power based on how voters voted in an election. It was a terrible violent assault on the United States Capitol, an insurrection that was fueled by the sitting president, Donald Trump, and today, in what was exactly how it should be, a very peaceful transfer of power, despite the fact that we Democrats did not this was not the results we wanted.
I thought that it showcased exactly what must happen every time, whether we like the election results or not, and it also committed to memory the horrific violence that we saw four years ago and how outrageous it was that that very president is the one that we’re certifying the election for. So it’s complicated.
Granillo: I know you mentioned that it was there were no objections this time around. Was that intentional? Because I know you know what was it in 2016 there were some objections from you and others in Congress to try to stop the certification of the election then.
Jayapal: Those objections were, at the time, about making a point, but all of us knew that it was not going to stop anything from happening because they were not signed by a senator. But what happened in 2020 was completely different, and I think not a single one of us was out there inciting an insurrection and calling for violence, which is exactly what Donald Trump was doing in 2020, so I don’t think that they’re comparable in the least.
I do think that there was a very conscious decision this time to be very clear that there are no election deniers on our side of the aisle. I think one of the things that was hardest for me is that, and for many of us is that there are still 137 Republican members of Congress who have continued to deny the results of the 2020 election and continue to spread misinformation and disinformation about that election. They do not recognize Joe Biden as having legitimately won that election, and they’re serving in Congress today. And that, to me, is terrifying, because, again, this has to be, and I put this in my statement, it has to be that we certify the election for who the voters voted for, regardless of what we feel about the outcome. And that can’t just be true on the Democratic side. It has to be true on the Republican side as well.
Granillo: So now we find ourselves here entering a brand new Congress, and you are working alongside some of these election deniers. Do you plan on working across the aisle with them?
Jayapal: I have worked across the aisle on a number of issues with people who I’ve vehemently disagree with, and I’m deeply disappointed that this is where they landed. But we are in Congress, we try to use every opportunity based on the issue that is in front of us. So. To do the work that we have to do, and as I said to my constituents in a statement this morning, I will do everything I can to stand up and fight for the best outcome for vulnerable people, working-class people across this country, and I will work with anybody to do that, but if they are attacked being attacked, if those very people are being attacked, I intend to stand up and fight back against that.
Granillo: Who do you fear will be attacked by? You know this incoming administration, the Republican-controlled House. I know you probably have some fears about deportations, things of that nature. I know those flights are continuing now at the King County international airports. Your thoughts on that.
Jayapal: The very first big fight will be around another tax scam that is going to hurt working people across this country who are struggling already and who were promised lower prices, lower costs, and are not going to get that what, what we’re going to see is another Trump tax scam, just like the first one. It was the time when Donald Trump was the most unpopular, other than January 6, because people understood he was taking money from regular working class people and giving it to the richest billionaires. Now, those billionaires actually control the cabinet of Donald Trump, and I think that we are afraid for how people are going to manage economically.
I’m also worried about our LGBTQ community, our trans community, our immigrant community, these are all communities that Donald Trump has been attacking mercilessly and are very important to our region, to our state. And I think that we’re going to have to push back on that, just as we did on the horrific family separations that happened under Donald Trump when he tries to do those things again, and I believe he will, because he’s the same people who did it the last time, who are coming back in so we’ll be vigilant. We will be standing up and united in a United Way as a Democratic caucus, try to take on everything that we possibly can.
Jason Rantz opinion: Did Seattle progressive Pramila Jayapal try to stop Trump certification again?
Granillo: I’ll leave you on this. But everything you’re seeing obviously resonates with many voters here in Washington, we were one of the few states, and not the only state, really, to move a bit farther to the left, but the message from the Progressive Caucus that you lead doesn’t did not seem to resonate with voters across the country. So how do you sort of make that message that worked here work elsewhere?
Jayapal: Well, actually, I think our message did resonate across the country in terms of the economic future that people want. I mean, if you look at you know, it was in Republican states that higher minimum wage passed, that paid leave passed. It was in Republican states and Republican districts across country where a populist message about taking on corporate concentration and raising wages and lowering costs for people that absolutely did resonate. And if you notice in the house, we actually have a slimmer margin, the Republicans have a slimmer margin this time than they did last time around. I also think that at the end of the day, even when Republicans are throwing up immigrants or trans kids and attacking them.
You know, these most vulnerable communities, what they’re really doing is distracting people from what the economic reality is. They’re trying to make villains out of people who should not be villainized. And I think that if we address the economic pieces of this, it will be harder and harder for for, you know, for Republicans to continue to villainize immigrants. But I think despite all of that, if you look at the polling across the country, Americans believe that immigrants are good for this country, and most people do not vote based on what is happening with with trans kids, vulnerable trans kids. So I just think that those are red herrings, and actually a progressive message did resonate, and had we passed build back better with housing investments and with child care investments, I think we might be in a very different place today, but we’re going to continue to work on that.
Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest; The Associated Press
This transcipt has been edited for grammar and clarity. None of the thoughts or ideas have been altered.
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