Newly elected Rep. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, announced Thursday that he intended to attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday.
The announcement came a day after another north Orange County Democratic congressman, Rep. Alan Lowenthal of Long Beach, said he would not attend the swearing-in.
“I have received much communication regarding tomorrow’s presidential inauguration, expressing opinions across the political spectrum,” Correa said. “Clearly, while the election is over, the negativity continues. And, our nation continues to be deeply divided.
This inauguration is another event in a line of peaceful transitions of power that are the hallmark of our country,” Correa said. “I was elected to go to D.C. to work for my constituents, to help our middle class, to help all our working families, and to create good-paying jobs. I came to D.C. to make sure that all Americans, including new Americans, have the opportunity to work hard and achieve the American Dream. I am here to work with all who will work with me, to work across the aisle, irrespective of party affiliation.
I’m going to D.C. to be at the table when decisions are made that affect my constituents,” Correa said. “Either we are at the table or we are on the menu.”
Lowenthal on Wednesday cited Trump’s comments on Twitter about Rep. John Lewis that criticized the Georgia congressman and civil rights icon for saying he did not view Trump as a “legitimate president” because he believed Russians had sabotaged the election.
Since the exchange between the two, multiple Democratic lawmakers in Washington have announced they would skip the inauguration.
“This has been a difficult decision for me as I have the utmost respect for the office of the president and the peaceful transfer of executive power embodied in the inauguration,” Lowenthal said.
“However, President-elect Trump’s recent attacks on Rep. John Lewis were beyond the pale and served as a tipping point, which made me re-evaluate my original intention to attend,” he added.
“John Lewis is nothing short of a true American hero,” Lowenthal said of the activist who was one of the original Freedom Riders, helped organize the March on Washington made famous by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “`I Have a Dream” speech and was beaten during “Bloody Sunday” in the Selma-to-Montgomery marches.
Lewis, Lowenthal added, “bravely put his life on the line, numerous times, all to bend the long arc of history toward a more justice-filled future for all Americans.”
Lowenthal said Trump, “in his attacks on Rep. Lewis, and minorities, and women, and the disabled, has yet done little to earn my respect… I sincerely hope that over the next four years President Trump will work hard to earn the respect of all Americans, not just those who voted for him. The American people deserve it and the office of the president requires it.”
Rep. Mimi Walters, R-Irvine, steered clear of criticizing protesters.
“All members can decide for themselves whether to participate in any inaugural events, including the swearing-in ceremony,” Walters said. “I view the inauguration as a celebration of our democracy and a demonstration of the peaceful transition of power, and I’m excited to be a part of this powerful event.”
–City News Service