17-01-2017, 08:12 AM
(This post was last modified: 17-01-2017, 02:09 PM by Peter Lemkin.)
An ever growing number of Congresspersons will boycott the Trumpf Inaugeration. The number now seems to be 42 members of the House, and growing. Many will instead be in demonstrations in D.C. or in their home districts against Trumpf.
At least 42 Democratic lawmakers are boycotting President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, no senators have yet said they are boycotting.
Some members have said they will be protesting in Washington and in their districts instead.
A partial list of Democrats who have publicly said they won't be at Friday's ceremony:
Texas Rep. Al Green
"I will not attend the inauguration because conscience says it is the right thing to do," Green said in a statement, referencing Martin Luther King, Jr. in his decision.
California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
"I thought long and hard about attending the Inauguration because I value our democracy and respect the office of the presidency, regardless of party. However, the disparaging remarks the President-elect has made about many groups, including women, Mexicans, and Muslims, are deeply contrary to my values. As a result, I will not be attending the Inauguration," Roybal-Allard said in a statement Sunday.
Georgia Rep. John Lewis
The civil rights icon declared last week that he would boycott the event because he doesn't see Trump as a "legitimate" president in light of Russian interference.
"You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong," Lewis told NBC News.
Trump harshly responded Saturday, calling Lewis "all talk" and "no action" and saying he should focus more on "fixing and helping" his district rather than "complaining" about the Russia's role.
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison
"I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate. I won't be attending Donald Trump's inauguration," Ellison, who is running for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted Monday.
Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen
"I would love to attend the inauguration. I'm a member of Congress through your votes. Thank you," Cohen told WMC Action News 5. "I value our government. I appreciate it greatly. This president semi-elect does not deserve to be President of the United States. He has not exhibited the characteristics and the values that we hold dear."
California Rep. Mark Takano
"'All talk, no action.' I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration," Takano tweeted Saturday.
New York Rep. Yvette Clarke
"I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America."
California Rep. Ted Lieu
"For me, the personal decision not to attend Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis," Lieu said in a statement released by his office.
New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler
He announced his decision on CNN's "New Day" and then issued a statement: "The rhetoric and actions of Donald Trump have been so far beyond the pale -- so disturbing and disheartening -- and his continued failure to address his conflicts of interest, to adequately divest or even to fully disclose his financial dealings, or to sufficiently separate himself from the ethical misconduct that legal experts on both side of the aisle have identified have been so offensive I cannot in good conscience participate in this honored and revered democratic tradition of the peaceful transfer of power."
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva
"I will not be attending the inauguration of Donald Trump as our next president," the Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair said Friday on the House floor. "My absence is not motivated by disrespect for the office or motivated by disrespect for the government that we have in this great democracy, but as an individual act, yes, of defiance at the disrespect shown to millions and millions of Americans by this incoming administration, and the actions we are taking in this Congress."
Michigan Rep. John Conyers
The office of Conyers, the dean of the United House of Representatives, confirmed to CNN he won't be attending the inauguration.
California Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
"It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017," the California lawmaker tweeted Friday.
New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez
Velazquez tweeted Friday that she will be participating in a women's march protesting policies that activists say are harmful to American women.
"I will not be attending inauguration of @realDonaldTrump but WILL participate in the @womensmarch on January 21st," she tweeted.
Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader
"I'm just not a big Trump fan. I've met the guy and never been impressed with him," he told Oregon Public Broadcasting Friday. "I'll do my best to work with him when I think he's doing the right thing for the country. But he hasn't proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony."
Missouri Rep. William Lacy Clay
The lawmaker's spokesperson told the St. Louis Post Dispatch that Clay will be in his home state speaking to schoolchildren.
California Rep. Barbara Lee
Lee said she'll spend the day "preparing for resistance."
"Donald Trump has proven that his administration will normalize the most extreme fringes of the Republican Party. On Inauguration Day, I will not be celebrating. I will be organizing and preparing for resistance," she said Thursday in a statement.
New York Rep. Jose Serrano
"I will not attend the #inauguration2017 next week- cannot celebrate the inauguration of a man who has no regard for my constituents. #Bronx," he tweeted Thursday.
California Rep. Judy Chu
"After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration," Chu tweeted this weekend..
Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez
"I cannot go to (the) inauguration of a man who's going to appoint people to the Supreme Court and turn back the clock on women and turn back the clock on immigrants and the safety and freedom that we fought for them," Gutierrez said last month on CNN's "New Day."
California Rep. Jared Huffman
"I have decided that instead of attending the inaugural ceremonies in Washington this month, I'll spend time in California with my constituents making a positive difference in our community," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday. "From helping to build homes for local families to pitching in on cleaning up flood debris to welcoming new US citizens at a naturalization ceremony --- it will be an action-packed couple of days. Stay tuned here for more details."
Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark
"I support the peaceful transition of power, but I don't feel that I need to attend the pageantry associated with and for this president," she told the Boston Globe earlier this month.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer
"There is unprecedented concern by my constituents about the many threats posed by a Trump administration seeking to implement the President-elect's policies on health, environment, nuclear weapons and immigration, to name but a few," he said on Facebook.
New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat
"Many have given their lives and dedicated their lives to working to fulfill Dr. King's dream and make it a reality, and it is up to us to preserve his legacy and the legacy of President Barack Obama to ensure that we do not go back in time! President-elect Donald Trump is trying to take us back! And the people Trump is appointing-- Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions -- are trying to take us back!
"That's why I am not attending the presidential inauguration. Donald Trump and the hate-filled rhetoric that plagued his election simply will continue in his administration. THIS is not Dr. King's Dream!" Espaillat issued the statement on his Facebook page.
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal
.@realDonaldTrump: @repjohnlewis stands for best of everything in America. If anyone knows about action not words, it's him. #ImWithJohn
Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan
"After reading classified Russian hacking doc & @realDonaldTrump offensive tweets to @repjohnlewis I will not be attending the Inauguration."
Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge
"As I told @JoyAnnReid, I will not be attending #Inauguration. I will be at home in Cleveland. #IStandWithJohnLewis."
California Rep. Maxine Waters
"I never ever contemplated attending the inauguration or any activities associated w/ @realDonaldTrump. I wouldn't waste my time."
New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
"I do not intend to attend the inauguration of PE @realDonaldTrump. Instead, join me for an Interfaith Prayer Vigil."
Maryland Rep. Anthony Brown
"Skipping Inauguration.@RepJohnLewis a civil rights hero. Enormous responsibility to be POTUS.I respect the office, can't tolerate disrespect," he tweeted Monday.
Virginia Rep. Don Beyer
"I wanted to let you know that I am not attending this Friday's inaugural ceremonies ... I will not be part of normalizing or legitimizing a man whose election may well have depended on the malicious foreign interference of Russia's leaders, a person who lies profusely and without apology, who mimics the disabilities of others, who insults anyone who dares disagree with him, who would demonize an entire spiritual tradition, and who has demonstrated again and again a profound disrespect for women," he tweeted.
Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree
"At MLK Day dinner in Portland, I announced that I would not attend Trump's inauguration," she tweeted.
Kentucky Rep. John Yarmouth
"It's not my intent to protest the election results or to make a statement about policy. I will not be attending the inauguration because I believe the office of the President deserves our respect, and that respect must begin with the President-elect himself," the congressman said in a statement.
At least 42 Democratic lawmakers are boycotting President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, no senators have yet said they are boycotting.
Some members have said they will be protesting in Washington and in their districts instead.
A partial list of Democrats who have publicly said they won't be at Friday's ceremony:
Texas Rep. Al Green
"I will not attend the inauguration because conscience says it is the right thing to do," Green said in a statement, referencing Martin Luther King, Jr. in his decision.
California Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard
"I thought long and hard about attending the Inauguration because I value our democracy and respect the office of the presidency, regardless of party. However, the disparaging remarks the President-elect has made about many groups, including women, Mexicans, and Muslims, are deeply contrary to my values. As a result, I will not be attending the Inauguration," Roybal-Allard said in a statement Sunday.
Georgia Rep. John Lewis
The civil rights icon declared last week that he would boycott the event because he doesn't see Trump as a "legitimate" president in light of Russian interference.
"You cannot be at home with something that you feel that is wrong," Lewis told NBC News.
Trump harshly responded Saturday, calling Lewis "all talk" and "no action" and saying he should focus more on "fixing and helping" his district rather than "complaining" about the Russia's role.
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison
"I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate. I won't be attending Donald Trump's inauguration," Ellison, who is running for chairman of the Democratic National Committee, tweeted Monday.
Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen
"I would love to attend the inauguration. I'm a member of Congress through your votes. Thank you," Cohen told WMC Action News 5. "I value our government. I appreciate it greatly. This president semi-elect does not deserve to be President of the United States. He has not exhibited the characteristics and the values that we hold dear."
California Rep. Mark Takano
"'All talk, no action.' I stand with @repjohnlewis and I will not be attending the inauguration," Takano tweeted Saturday.
New York Rep. Yvette Clarke
"I will NOT attend the inauguration of @realDonaldTrump. When you insult @repjohnlewis, you insult America."
California Rep. Ted Lieu
"For me, the personal decision not to attend Inauguration is quite simple: Do I stand with Donald Trump, or do I stand with John Lewis? I am standing with John Lewis," Lieu said in a statement released by his office.
New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler
He announced his decision on CNN's "New Day" and then issued a statement: "The rhetoric and actions of Donald Trump have been so far beyond the pale -- so disturbing and disheartening -- and his continued failure to address his conflicts of interest, to adequately divest or even to fully disclose his financial dealings, or to sufficiently separate himself from the ethical misconduct that legal experts on both side of the aisle have identified have been so offensive I cannot in good conscience participate in this honored and revered democratic tradition of the peaceful transfer of power."
Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva
"I will not be attending the inauguration of Donald Trump as our next president," the Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair said Friday on the House floor. "My absence is not motivated by disrespect for the office or motivated by disrespect for the government that we have in this great democracy, but as an individual act, yes, of defiance at the disrespect shown to millions and millions of Americans by this incoming administration, and the actions we are taking in this Congress."
Michigan Rep. John Conyers
The office of Conyers, the dean of the United House of Representatives, confirmed to CNN he won't be attending the inauguration.
California Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
"It is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the #TrumpInauguration on January 20, 2017," the California lawmaker tweeted Friday.
New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez
Velazquez tweeted Friday that she will be participating in a women's march protesting policies that activists say are harmful to American women.
"I will not be attending inauguration of @realDonaldTrump but WILL participate in the @womensmarch on January 21st," she tweeted.
Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader
"I'm just not a big Trump fan. I've met the guy and never been impressed with him," he told Oregon Public Broadcasting Friday. "I'll do my best to work with him when I think he's doing the right thing for the country. But he hasn't proved himself to me at all yet, so I respectfully decline to freeze my ass out there in the cold for this particular ceremony."
Missouri Rep. William Lacy Clay
The lawmaker's spokesperson told the St. Louis Post Dispatch that Clay will be in his home state speaking to schoolchildren.
California Rep. Barbara Lee
Lee said she'll spend the day "preparing for resistance."
"Donald Trump has proven that his administration will normalize the most extreme fringes of the Republican Party. On Inauguration Day, I will not be celebrating. I will be organizing and preparing for resistance," she said Thursday in a statement.
New York Rep. Jose Serrano
"I will not attend the #inauguration2017 next week- cannot celebrate the inauguration of a man who has no regard for my constituents. #Bronx," he tweeted Thursday.
California Rep. Judy Chu
"After much thought, I have decided to #StandWithJohnLewis and not attend the inauguration," Chu tweeted this weekend..
Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez
"I cannot go to (the) inauguration of a man who's going to appoint people to the Supreme Court and turn back the clock on women and turn back the clock on immigrants and the safety and freedom that we fought for them," Gutierrez said last month on CNN's "New Day."
California Rep. Jared Huffman
"I have decided that instead of attending the inaugural ceremonies in Washington this month, I'll spend time in California with my constituents making a positive difference in our community," he wrote on Facebook Tuesday. "From helping to build homes for local families to pitching in on cleaning up flood debris to welcoming new US citizens at a naturalization ceremony --- it will be an action-packed couple of days. Stay tuned here for more details."
Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark
"I support the peaceful transition of power, but I don't feel that I need to attend the pageantry associated with and for this president," she told the Boston Globe earlier this month.
Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer
"There is unprecedented concern by my constituents about the many threats posed by a Trump administration seeking to implement the President-elect's policies on health, environment, nuclear weapons and immigration, to name but a few," he said on Facebook.
New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat
"Many have given their lives and dedicated their lives to working to fulfill Dr. King's dream and make it a reality, and it is up to us to preserve his legacy and the legacy of President Barack Obama to ensure that we do not go back in time! President-elect Donald Trump is trying to take us back! And the people Trump is appointing-- Steve Bannon, Jeff Sessions -- are trying to take us back!
"That's why I am not attending the presidential inauguration. Donald Trump and the hate-filled rhetoric that plagued his election simply will continue in his administration. THIS is not Dr. King's Dream!" Espaillat issued the statement on his Facebook page.
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal
.@realDonaldTrump: @repjohnlewis stands for best of everything in America. If anyone knows about action not words, it's him. #ImWithJohn
Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan
"After reading classified Russian hacking doc & @realDonaldTrump offensive tweets to @repjohnlewis I will not be attending the Inauguration."
Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge
"As I told @JoyAnnReid, I will not be attending #Inauguration. I will be at home in Cleveland. #IStandWithJohnLewis."
California Rep. Maxine Waters
"I never ever contemplated attending the inauguration or any activities associated w/ @realDonaldTrump. I wouldn't waste my time."
New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman
"I do not intend to attend the inauguration of PE @realDonaldTrump. Instead, join me for an Interfaith Prayer Vigil."
Maryland Rep. Anthony Brown
"Skipping Inauguration.@RepJohnLewis a civil rights hero. Enormous responsibility to be POTUS.I respect the office, can't tolerate disrespect," he tweeted Monday.
Virginia Rep. Don Beyer
"I wanted to let you know that I am not attending this Friday's inaugural ceremonies ... I will not be part of normalizing or legitimizing a man whose election may well have depended on the malicious foreign interference of Russia's leaders, a person who lies profusely and without apology, who mimics the disabilities of others, who insults anyone who dares disagree with him, who would demonize an entire spiritual tradition, and who has demonstrated again and again a profound disrespect for women," he tweeted.
Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree
"At MLK Day dinner in Portland, I announced that I would not attend Trump's inauguration," she tweeted.
Kentucky Rep. John Yarmouth
"It's not my intent to protest the election results or to make a statement about policy. I will not be attending the inauguration because I believe the office of the President deserves our respect, and that respect must begin with the President-elect himself," the congressman said in a statement.
"Let me issue and control a nation's money and I care not who writes the laws. - Mayer Rothschild
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass
"Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience! People are obedient in the face of poverty, starvation, stupidity, war, and cruelty. Our problem is that grand thieves are running the country. That's our problem!" - Howard Zinn
"If there is no struggle there is no progress. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and never will" - Frederick Douglass