Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
Washington, DC – On Friday, January 13, 2017, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA11) announced that he will not attend the Inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump, one week from today.
“The peaceful transition of power from one administration to the next is a uniquely American tradition that defines our democracy. Inaugurations are a time for our Presidents to ignite hope, demonstrate humility, and espouse faithfulness to the principles enumerated in the Constitution. The President-elect has yet to demonstrate these traits, and it is with a heavy heart and deep personal conviction that I have decided not to attend the Inauguration on January 20, 2017,” said DeSaulnier.
“Having watched, listened, and waited during this transition period, I was hopeful the President-elect would turn away from the divisive and contentious behavior exhibited during the campaign and embrace a message to unify all Americans. Sadly, we have witnessed one polarizing action after another. Since being elected, he has demonstrated hostility toward our free and open press, committed to gutting health insurance for millions of hardworking families, and is filling his cabinet with nominees more closely aligned with Wall Street than Main Street.
“Earlier this week, the President-elect acknowledged, but took no meaningful steps to mitigate his many personal conflicts of interest. The plan he outlined is wholly inadequate and leaves the American public with more questions than answers. It is the duty of the President of the United States to meet the minimum legal and ethical standards outlined in the Constitution. This makes his refusal to follow the precedent set by the last four generations of presidents from both parties gravely concerning.
“As President, the nation will look to him for guidance in times of turmoil and times of plenty. In these moments, the country must have full confidence that his sole focus is on protecting America’s interest – not his own. I believe when he places his hand on the Bible and takes the sacred oath that Presidents Washington and Lincoln did before him, he will in that very moment, be in violation of that oath and the Constitution.
“As a student of American history, I cannot sit idly by and normalize a President who has displayed disregard for our past traditions and Constitution. In this critical period of transition, I am reminded of when Benjamin Franklin exited the Constitutional Convention at its completion and approached a group of citizens, one of whom asked ‘Mr. Franklin, what have you given us?’ to which he replied ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’ On Inauguration Day, I will not be in attendance, but instead preparing to do all I can to keep our republic.”
DeSaulnier represents most of Contra Costa County in the U.S. House of Representatives. To communicate with the Congressman, contact him through his website at https://desaulnier.house.gov/contact, call his Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2095 or District office in Richmond at (510) 620-1000 or his office in Walnut Creek at (925) 933-2660.
I had hoped to send Congressman DeSaulnier an email regarding his announcement. Unfortunately, to send an email, one must select an issue. The list, I guess, reflects issue he wants to hear about — not issues his constituents might want to bring to him. There none that even remotely touched on the subject of his announcement. I called his WC office thinking perhaps I could leave a voice mail message. The phone rang incessantly. No voice mail service. I called his DC office. It has a voice mail feature but the mail box was full. So, I’m hoping he or one of his staff might see this and convey my message to him as follows:
Dear Congressman DeSaulnier,
I respectfully request that you reconsider and attend the inauguration of the properly elected President of the United State.
In your statement, you make a point about divisiveness. By not attending, you lend support to the “not my President” crowd, thereby actually becoming an agent for divisiveness.
This is your opportunity to demonstrate leadership. It would be a shame if you do not seize the opportunity.
Denis O’Malley