Yesterday was a historic day in America as Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States and Kamala Harris became the first woman and the first person of color to become vice president. It’s a moment that’s resonated here and around the world.
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was at the inauguration and said in a statement that, “President Biden and I do not agree on every issue … [but] I pledge to continue working across the aisle ... Regardless of who each of us voted for, Americans deserve a government that is worthy of us and working for us.”
Sen. Mark Kelly, who was sworn in last month, said in his own statement that he congratulates President Biden and Vice President Harris, but added, “We now continue the work needed to heal and move our country forward.”
Congratulations to our new President Joe Biden and our new Vice President Kamala Harris. There’s no shortage of challenges ahead of us, so I look forward to tackling them together with the new administration and Republicans and Democrats in the Senate.
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) January 20, 2021
Democratic U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva says it’s time for change in Washington, but that it’s up to Congress to make that change happen.
“The onus is not on Biden. The onus is on senators and leadership in the House of Representatives on the Republican side, and that’s where the accountability is going to be," Grijalva said.
Many Arizona politicians seemed to — for the moment — set down partisan differences and speak of hope of moving the country forward.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey attended the inauguration in person and wrote in an opinion piece published in the Hill that a peaceful transfer of power is one of America’s most sacred traditions. He wrote:
“President Biden and I have numerous differences about the size, scope and role of government. I will never hesitate to share my views about the policies that impact Arizona, but ultimately, even if we don’t agree, I think our new president wants to serve our country. I’m honored to attend his inauguration and represent Arizona.”
Rep. Debbie Lesko was the first of Arizona’s congressional Republicans to acknowledge Biden’s win. She congratulated him on Twitter and said that she wants to work cooperatively with the new administration on issues where they can agree.
Congratulations to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Although I disagree with many of your policy priorities, I hope to work together with you on items that we can agree on for the benefit of all Arizonans and Americans.
— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) January 20, 2021
Republican Rep. Paul Gosar, a staunch Trump ally, on the other hand posted tweets yesterday praising Trump for four “great years.”
He remained silent on Twitter throughout the shift of power.
