Rep. Mike Garcia’s July 9 column in The Signal bears reflection. In this article, the themes of protecting country, crime and security are center stage.
I wish to remind voters of the actions taken by this congressman on Jan. 6, 2021, days after taking the oath of office to protect our Constitution. Protecting our country, crime and security are also center stage. Please see below a copy of a Jan. 12, 2021, open letter to the representative of the 25th Congressional District (to be changed to the 27th District upon the November election):
I am writing to you to let you know how utterly devastated I have been over the acts of violence in our nation’s capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Also, I am more than disheartened to know you participated in this event by being part of the congressional group of legislators that attempted to challenge the Electoral College results.
You won the 25th Congressional seat with a bare 333-vote margin and were sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2021. Three days later, during the electoral vote counting by the full U. S. Congress, it seems you put your efforts into claiming the votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania did not comply with requirements of the Electoral Count Act. With no concrete legal findings to support this well-reviewed challenge in multiple courts, it is clear you did not uphold the Constitution as stated in the oath of office you took on Jan. 3, 2021, but instead apparently chose to seek status among those who were not supporting the legal and fair election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and wished to disrupt the electoral vote count.
Your actions on Jan. 6, 2021 are a breach of the oath of office you took on Jan. 3, 2021. I feel you have hurt our democracy. I feel you have not worked to heal the divisions of this country but in fact have promoted them. I strongly request you resign from the 25th Congressional District.
Susann Rizzo
Valencia
Editor’s note: Rep. Mike Garcia issued the following statement after he voted to object to election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania: “My objection to the electoral votes of two states was not in an attempt to overturn the results of the election, it was to fulfill my duty to protect the rights of the men and women of California’s 25th District who elected me to serve them and stand up for their rights. After examining the evidence, I firmly believe that there were constitutional missteps by multiple states according to Article 2, Section 1, Clause 2, and Article 1, Section 4 of the United States Constitution. The Constitution makes it clear, only state legislatures can set state election law. States, like the two states I objected to, violated the law when officials outside of the state legislature changed state election laws without the state legislature’s approval. My vote was not about politics, but about protecting the rights of the American people that are granted in the Constitution.”
