North Texas congressional Democrats plan to attend Trump’s inauguration

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey will attend the presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

The Fort Worth Democrat announced Thursday morning that he will not join the dozens of Democrats staying away from the ceremony where Republican Donald Trump will take the oath of office to become the country’s 45th president.

“I have chosen to support the democratic tradition of a peaceful transfer of power, and as requested by our Leader Nancy Pelosi of myself and Members of the Democratic Caucus who will attend the Inauguration, I will be proudly wearing a symbol of solidarity for my friend and colleague, Congressman John Lewis,” Veasey said in a written statement.

“My attendance at the Inauguration is meant to serve as a reminder to the President-Elect that as Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, my colleagues and I constitute a co-equal branch of government; from the day Donald Trump is sworn into office, I will assert that power and represent the interests of my constituents and their concerns.”

Veasey’s office said the “symbol of solidarity” he will wear will be a pin.

U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, said recently that she, too, plans to attend the inauguration.

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 9:36 AM with the headline "North Texas congressional Democrats plan to attend Trump’s inauguration."