Congressman Steve shared his thoughts from the Capitol ahead of Donald J. Trumps return to the White House, emphasizing the peaceful transfer of power as a cornerstone of democracy. Womack noted the high public interest in this historic inauguration and highlighted Trumps electoral and popular vote victories as a mandate for change. While Monday will be a day of celebration, Womack stressed that addressing the nations challenges will require courage and hard work in the months ahead.
Listen below for the Congressman’s full address.
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Transcript:
This is Congressman Steve Womack with comment from the Capitol. The peaceful transfer of power rolls off the tongue easily. It’s always been the hallmark of our constitutional republic. Until four years ago, when all hell broke loose on the day Congress certified the 2020 presidential election and the nation endured one of its darkest moments. Things settled down by inauguration day that year. And Joe Biden was installed as the nation’s 46th president to some, seems like yesterday to others, such a distant memory, and now four years, hence America is poised to prove that democracy actually still works and Donald J. Trump will make one of the most remarkable political comebacks in U.S. history, maybe the most remarkable. On Monday at 12 noon, Trump will take the oath of office and return to the White House. Where America’s hopes for a new direction rest squarely on his shoulders, and that of Congress. Where slim majorities foretell a little resistance along the way. I will attend the inauguration as I always do.
I was there when Barack Obama was re elected. I was there for the first Trump inauguration. I muscled through the Joe Biden festivities in 2021. And I’ll be there again for Trump 2.0. It’s what we as Americans do. Unlike four years ago, my office was swamped with ticket requests, and we did our best to accommodate as many 3rd District Arkansans as possible.
But there seems to be a lot more demand this time around. I’m grateful for my team, mainly my Ops Director, Scout Hodges, and my Staff Assistant, Zach Engel, for their great work on managing through this process. There will be a large crowd. Security will be tight. It already is. It won’t be business as usual in Washington.
Far from it. Roads will close. Access to the Capitol grounds will be limited. Expect gridlock until well after the President takes his oath. It’s the price we pay for the right to claim that ours is the best form of government on the planet. For that day, most will celebrate this transition. It signals that help is on the way from high prices.
A lax border in the myriad of other issues tethered to the work of the last four years of President Biden and Democrats. Trump won both the electoral vote and the popular vote, a sign that Americans of all stripes were unhappy with the direction of their country. So celebrate we will on Monday, but not long after the speeches, the parades, and the formals conclude, the hard work of making America great again begins. This will take time, and it will take political courage. But for this day, let us all revel in the fact that America endures and democracy works. There’s no better message for the rest of the world to receive from its greatest, most powerful nation. As always, I invite your views. This is Congressman Steve Womack with comment from the Capitol.
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