Resolution 2021-31550 RESOLUTION NO. 2021-31550
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF
THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, STRONGLY
CONDEMNING THE DISGRACEFUL, VIOLENT ASSAULT ON
THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL THAT TOOK PLACE ON
JANUARY 6, 2021, IN AN UNLAWFUL EFFORT TO UNDERMINE
AND DERAIL THE FULFILLMENT OF CONGRESS'
CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO CERTIFY THE RESULTS OF THE
2020 GENERAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION; URGING LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO TAKE ALL STEPS NECESSARY
TO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE EVERYONE WHO HAS
PARTICIPATED IN THIS DOMESTIC TERROR ATTACK, TO THE
FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW; URGING FEDERAL ELECTED
OFFICIALS TO TAKE ALL STEPS TO ENSURE A PEACEFUL
AND ORDERLY PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION AND RESTORE
FAITH AND TRUST IN GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND THE
ELECTORAL PROCESS; AND DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO
TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO U.S. SENATE
MAJORITY AND MINORITY LEADERS, U.S. SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE, FLORIDA SENATORS MARCO RUBIO AND RICK
SCOTT, U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR,
AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL
DELEGATION.
WHEREAS, on January 6, 2021, thousands of President Trump's supporters
gathered in Washington, D.C. for demonstrations as Congress was set to certify that
President-elect Joe Biden won the election, and laid siege on the United States Capitol
—one of the world's greatest symbols of self-government and representative democracy
— at the urging of the president of the United States, in a shameful effort to desecrate
U.S. democratic institutions and the electoral process, and thereby subvert the will of the
voters and the many courts that uniformly rejected and dismissed as baseless unfounded
claims of electoral misconduct in connection with the 2020 Presidential Election; and
WHEREAS, on January 6, President Donald Trump appeared at a rally of his
supporters outside the White House, and repeated his baseless allegations in an effort to
cast doubt on the legitimacy of the electoral process, urging attendees to march to the
Capitol as lawmakers inside debated counting electoral college votes to confirm
President-elect Biden's victory; and
WHEREAS, later, at the U.S. Capitol, throngs of people breached past Capitol
police and entered the historic building, with many insurrectionists trespassing into
legislative chambers, by breaking through locked glass doors, and destroying federal
property with reports of gunfire and warnings by police to House members to don gas
masks; and
1
WHEREAS, protests at the Capitol are not new – congressional offices are
frequented by protesters and sit-ins, with some successfully interrupting a hearing, though
they are often quickly ushered out by Capitol police; and
WHEREAS, the right to protest and speak out against our government is one of
the rights afforded to Americans that set us apart from much of the world; and
WHEREAS, however, such protests are a stark contrast to what happened on
January 6, when a mob of President Trump's supporters stormed past barricades and
clashed with police to enter legislative chambers and congressional offices, where they
proceeded to desecrate chambers of democracy as the highest elected public officials in
this country were forced to evacuate their chambers for their safety; and
WHEREAS, the mob attack on the Capitol on January 6 was the first severe
breach of the United States Capitol since the British troops set fire to the building in
August 1814, and marks the first time an armed insurrection at the Capitol was incited by
a sitting president instead of a foreign power; and
WHEREAS, the responsibility for the insurrection at the Capitol rests on outgoing
President Trump, and his most ardent enablers, including some members of Congress,
who have continued to baselessly lie about the outcome of a lawful election in a futile
attempt to overturn the results of a legitimate election; and
WHEREAS, all four living former presidents -- Barack Obama, George W. Bush,
Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter–joined a chorus of current and former federal officials, in
a rare spirit of bipartisanship, to deride the rioters who forced an evacuation of the House
and Senate chambers of the Capitol; and
WHEREAS, the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of United States
democracy, and a distinction that, for centuries, has made the United States a beacon of
democracy throughout the world, until the disgraceful events of January 6, 2021; and
WHEREAS, the shameful events that took place on January 6 were not merely a
U.S. national issue but an attack on the very fundaments of democratic structures and
institutions, and what the nation witnessed on January 6 in Washington, DC is the power
of the mob to destabilize even the most stable of democracies if falsehoods are given a
national platform and legitimization from some of the highest elected officials in the
country; and
WHEREAS, world leaders, including Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, New Zealand's Prime-minister Jacinda Ardern,
Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, and Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison,
condemned the insurrection at the Capitol, calling for a peaceful transition of power; and
WHEREAS, the domestic terror attack on the Capitol was not an isolated incident
—wholesale poisoning of American democracy through conspiracy theories,the peddling
of lies, and open parroting of misinformation has reverberated throughout the nation,
exposing additional public officials and communities to danger; and
2
WHEREAS, eroding the public's trust in the function and legitimacy of the
government, including results of a legitimate election, jeopardizes the physical safety of
all elected public servants across the country and weakens their ability to govern,
effectuate change, and uphold the rule of law; and
WHEREAS, individuals who unlawfully breached the Capitol in this domestic terror
attack must face consequences and be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Commission of Miami Beach urge all elected
officials to take all steps to defend the Republic against an assault on democracy that
continues to this day, to reaffirm their commitment to faithfully execute their duty to the
Constitution of the United States, and take steps necessary to restore faith and trust in
government, in public service, in America; and
WHEREAS, it is of utmost importance for Capitol administration to review security
measures and make changes deemed necessary to better protect elected officials, their
office staff, and others in the occupancy of the facilities; and
WHEREAS, the shameful and unlawful events that took place at the Capitol on
January 6 will now be a part of our lasting American history, but our people are tough, our
Constitutional order is strong, and we will meet this moment with strength and grace.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby strongly condemn the disgraceful, violent assault on the United
States Capitol that took place on January 6, 2021, in an unlawful effort to undermine and
derail the fulfillment of Congress' constitutional duty to certify the results of the 2020
General Presidential Election; urge law enforcement officials to take all steps necessary
to investigate and prosecute everyone who has participated in this domestic terror attack,
to the fullest extent of the law; urge federal elected officials to take all steps to ensure a
peaceful and orderly presidential transition and restore faith and trust in government
institutions and the electoral process; and direct the City Clerk to transmit a copy of this
Resolution to U.S. Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, U.S. Speaker of the House,
Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, U.S. Congresswoman Maria Elvira
Salazar, and other members of the Florida Congressional delegation.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this /3 day of Janua 021.
Dan Gelber, Mayor
ATTEST:
24/
Rafael . Granado, C' y lerk
(sponsored by Commissioner David Richardson)
APPROVED AS TO
FORM & LANGUAGE
& FOR EXECUTION
.4/ ' ' ''.:711% nr(5-
s po ORATED` /' 3 City Attorney l Date �. Z'
Resolutions-C7 T
MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Rafael Paz,Acting City Attorney
DATE: January 13,2021
SUBJECT:A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA,
STRONGLY CONDEMNING THE DISGRACEFUL, VIOLENT ASSAULT ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL
THAT TOOK PLACE ON JANUARY 6, 2021, IN AN UNLAWFUL EFFORT TO UNDERMINE AND DERAIL THE
FULFILLMENT OF CONGRESS' CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO CERTIFY THE RESULTS OF THE 2020
GENERAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION; URGING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO TAKE ALL STEPS
NECESSARY TO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE EVERYONE WHO HAS PARTICIPATED IN THIS
DOMESTIC TERROR ATTACK, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW; URGING FEDERAL ELECTED
OFFICIALS TO TAKE ALL STEPS TO ENSURE A PEACEFUL AND ORDERLY PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION
AND RESTORE FAITH AND TRUST IN GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS AND THE ELECTORAL PROCESS;
AND DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO TRANSMIT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION TO U.S. SENATE
MAJORITY AND MINORITY LEADERS, U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, FLORIDA SENATORS MARCO
RUBIO AND RICK SCOTT,U.S.CONGRESSWOMAN MARIA ELVIRA SALAZAR,AND OTHER MEMBERS OF
THE FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the request of Commissioner David Richardson, the attached Resolution is submitted for consideration by the City
Commission.
SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA
N/A
Applicable Area
Not Applicable
Is this a"Residents Right Does this item utilize G.O.
to Know"item.pursuant to Bond Funds?
City Code Section 2-14?
No No
Legislative Tracking
Office of the City Attorney
Sponsor
Commissioner David Richardson
ATTACHMENTS:
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Description
o Resolution