Capitol workers installed the plaque before dawn, more than five years after a mob of President Trump’s supporters tried to overturn the 2020 election.
The mob on January 6 went on a rampage, injuring 140 police officers.
The White House has created a new web page to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the January 6 riot, painting an ominous picture of Democrats.
A plaque honoring police who responded to the deadly U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, has been quietly and provisionally installed after years of delays.
Capitol Hill officials installed the plaque more than five years after a mob of President Trump supporters stormed the Capitol amid the president’s failed effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), the legislative appropriations member, noted that the decorations were installed early in the morning with little fanfare, following years of delays by House Republicans.
“Don’t get me wrong, they did this at 4am so no one could see, so there was no ceremony or real recognition,” Espaillat said in the X post. “Our Capitol Police deserve more recognition and I will continue to push @SpeakerJohnson until they understand.”
The installation of the plaque on the Senate side of the Capitol was first reported by The Washington Post. Congress approved legislation four years ago to install a plaque honoring police officers and directed it to be placed on the West Front of the Capitol.
Five police officers who responded to the riot died in the aftermath. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, 42, suffered a stroke during the mob attack and died the next day. Four other police officers died by suicide within months of the attack. A total of 174 police officers were injured.
Additionally, Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt was killed by U.S. Capitol Police Lt. Michael Byrd while attempting to storm the Speaker’s lobby.
The plaque reads, “On behalf of a grateful Congress, this plaque honors the outstanding individuals who bravely defended and defended this symbol of democracy on January 6, 2021. Their heroism will never be forgotten.”
The nameplate lists the various local and federal law enforcement agencies that responded.
House Republicans, who have been in power since 2023, delayed the installation because the law required it to be in place by March 2023. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had not yet installed the plaque. For years, the plaque was kept away from public view in the basement of the Capitol.
A bipartisan Senate resolution passed unanimously in January ordered the Capitol architect to display the plaque until “it can be installed in a permanent location.”
Neither Mr. Johnson’s office nor the architect of the Capitol building responded to emailed requests for comment. The White House did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
Two police officers who responded to the Jan. 6 riot have sued the architect of the Capitol building, seeking a memorial under federal law.
During his second term, President Trump pardoned approximately 1,600 people charged with involvement in the Capitol riot. The White House page says President Trump pardoned the Jan. 6 rioters, saying they were “unjustly targeted, overcharged, and turned into a political spectacle.”
Contributed by Erin Mansfield and Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY
