From the office of Jeff Merkley
After the 2021 attack, Congress agreed to install a permanent plaque to honor law enforcement who helped protect U.S. Capitol; now, Senate has agreed to temporarily install the plaque on the Senate side of the Capitol
Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and North Carolina’s U.S. Senator Thom Tillis announced that the Senate unanimously passed their bipartisan resolution to display a commemorative January 6 plaque on the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol until it is permanently installed on the Capitol’s West Front. The commemorative plaque will honor the heroism of the Capitol police and other officers who defended the Capitol on January 6th.
In March 2022, Congress passed a provision as part of Public Law 117–103, which required the installation of a plaque honoring the Capitol Police and other law enforcement forces that responded to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. By law, the plaque was to be placed on the western side of the building by March 2023. Thanks to Merkley and Tillis’ efforts, the Senate unanimously agreed to temporarily install the plaque until its permanent home is secured.
“Telling the story about what happened on January 6th requires recognizing the heroism of officers who defended the U.S. Capitol and our democracy itself from violent insurrectionists,” said Merkley. “Congress passed a law requiring the installation of a plaque to honor these heroes, and the failure to permanently display it remains an egregious insult to all those who were injured defending the Capitol, and the five officers who died because of the attack on the Capitol. Today, we took an important step forward to honor their sacrifice, and I thank my colleague, Senator Tillis, for working with me to ensure we will never forget the truth about this attack on our democracy.”
“On January 6, 2021, courageous law enforcement officers from the United States Capitol Police and other agencies risked their lives to defend the United States Capitol and protect Members of Congress and their staff,” said Tillis. “Their brave actions upheld the rule of law and ensured that our democratic institutions could continue to function as intended. Prominently displaying this plaque in the United States Senate ensures their heroism and sacrifice are properly recognized. We owe it to these brave men and women to honor their service and acknowledge the critical role they played in defending the United States Capitol.”
The full text of the simple resolution is available below and by clicking here:
Directing the Architect of the Capitol to prominently display, in a publicly accessible location in the Senate wing of the United States Capitol, a plaque honoring the members of law enforcement responding on January 6, 2021, until the plaque can be placed in its permanent location.
Whereas the United States owes its deepest gratitude to those officers of the United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, as well as officers from other Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and protective entities, who valiantly protected the United States Capitol, Members of Congress, and staff on January 6, 2021;
Whereas section 214 of division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (2 U.S.C. 2131 note prec.; 136 Stat. 527) directed that a plaque be placed on the western front of the United States Capitol to honor the extraordinary individuals who bravely protected and defended this symbol of democracy on January 6, 2021; and
Whereas their heroism should never be forgotten: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Architect of the Capitol shall prominently display the plaque produced pursuant to section 214 of division I of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (2 U.S.C. 2131 note prec.; 136 Stat. 527) in a publicly accessible location in the Senate wing of the United States Capitol until such time as the plaque can be placed at a permanent location on the western front of the United States Capitol.
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