Capitol Jan. 6 Police Plaque Finally Installed After Three-Year Legislative Standoff
A plaque honouring the law enforcement officers who defended the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 was installed overnight on Saturday, bringing to a close a protracted political standoff that had delayed the memorial for more than three years beyond its legally mandated deadline.
Workers placed the plaque on the Senate side of a hallway steps from the Capitol's West Front, the area where some of the most intense fighting between rioters and officers occurred during the attack. The Washington Post first reported the installation, which was witnessed by a reporter at approximately 4 a.m. Eastern Time.
"On behalf of a grateful Congress, this plaque honors the extraordinary individuals who bravely protected and defended this symbol of democracy on January 6, 2021," the plaque reads. "Their heroism will never be forgotten."
A Law Long Ignored
Congress passed legislation in 2022 directing the installation of a commemorative plaque that would list the names of officers "who responded to the violence that occurred" and set a one-year deadline for its erection. That deadline passed without the plaque appearing, and the matter remained unresolved for more than a further year.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, was identified as the figure who had delayed the installation. Earlier this year, Johnson said there were technical problems with the original statute that prevented the plaque from being erected, a position critics viewed as a pretext.
Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, moved swiftly in response. He brought a resolution to the Senate floor that passed without objection, authorising placement of the plaque on the Senate side of the building. Tillis framed his effort around the fifth anniversary of the attack and described his own memories of hearing rioters break into the Capitol.
"We owe them eternal gratitude, and this nation is stronger because of them," Tillis said of the officers who were overwhelmed by thousands of supporters of President Donald Trump before eventually regaining control of the building.
Officers' Lawsuit Persists
The path to installation was also shaped by legal pressure. Two officers who fought at the Capitol that day filed a lawsuit seeking judicial enforcement of the 2022 statute. One of the plaintiffs, Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, was crushed by rioters in heavy doors that are steps from where the plaque now stands.
Hodges welcomed the overnight installation but was measured in his assessment. He described it as a "fine stopgap" while noting that it did not constitute full compliance with the original law, which required among other specifications that the names of individual officers be listed on the memorial.
"The weight of a judicial ruling would help secure the memorial against future tampering," Hodges said on Saturday. "Our lawsuit persists."
A Contested Legacy
The delayed installation unfolded against a charged political backdrop. Trump, who returned to the presidency last year, has referred to January 6 as a "day of love" and has sought to deflect responsibility for the attack onto Democrats and police. The Republican-controlled Congress has by and large remained aligned with the president on the matter.
The January 6 attack saw thousands of Trump supporters storm the Capitol in support of his false claims that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen from him by Democrat Joe Biden. The mob halted the congressional certification of Biden's victory for several hours, forced lawmakers to flee and vandalized the building before police restored order. More than 140 officers from the US Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department and other agencies sustained injuries during the assault.
Capitol tour guides were photographed taking pictures of the newly installed plaque on Saturday morning, offering an early indication of the attention it is likely to draw from visitors in the weeks ahead.
