In The Media

Today the Vermont House of Representatives voted 130-16 in favor of a resolution to condemn the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 26, 2021. The Vermont Democratic Party joins the 130 Democratic, Republican, and Progressive House members who voted in favor of the resolution in condemning the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 as an attack on democracy, acknowledging Donald Trump’s inciting of yesterday’s violence, and calling for President Donald Trump to resign or be removed from office by his Cabinet or by the United States Congress.

On this dark day in our country’s history, the Vermont Democratic Party strongly condemns a blatant attack on our democracy from the supporters of Donald Trump, who today sieged our nation’s Capitol in a forceful attempt to overturn the results of a free and fair presidential election. Today’s events were a display of domestic terrorism, plain and simple.

This weekend we mourn with millions of Americans over the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away on Friday at the age of 87.

Last Friday marked the 49th anniversary of the March on Washington, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. declared that he had a dream for racial justice and equality in America. Frustrated with grave systemic injustices that prevailed, he reminded America of the fierce urgency of “now.”

Tonight, the Vermont Republican Party nominated Scott Milne, a two time failed candidate for statewide office, for a position he once disparaged. Milne declined to run for lieutenant governor in 2016 opting to run for U.S. Senate, saying: “so I can get in line to do something down the road, which is basically what everyone that’s doing lieutenant governor is doing, right?”

“Governor Phil Scott is not the moderate he makes himself out to be,” said R. Christopher Di Mezzo, Vermont Democratic Party spokesperson. “In his four years as governor, Phil Scott has worked to destabilize and oppose increased funding for Medicaid, he’s proposed programs that will raise the cost of health care, and he’s denied working Vermonters a raise and paid leave protections. Phil Scott is temperamentally different from Donald Trump; true, but his policies and the effect they have on working families are far too similar. Scott has undeniably made it less affordable for working families to live in Vermont.”

Vermont’s Congressional delegation Tuesday announced their unequivocal support for former Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States with Senator Leahy and Congressman Welch joining Senator Sanders who previously declared his endorsement in April. Saying Donald Trump failed to lead our country, Senator Leahy, Senator Sanders and Congressman Welch said we must restore honest, competent leadership to the Executive Branch.

The 2020 campaign for Lieutenant Governor features a strong group of qualified female candidates. That is undoubtedly an encouraging sign for our state which has struggled to elect women to statewide office. We are disappointed, however, in recent coverage of the race — coverage that further highlights the challenges female candidates face when vying for power.