A congressional plaque honoring law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021, riot remains uninstalled more than a year past its legal deadline, as Democratic leaders accuse Republicans of deliberately obstructing its placement under former President Donald Trump's influence.
The bronze plaque, commissioned through a bipartisan omnibus spending bill, was mandated by law to be placed by March 2023 on the Capitol's Western Front-where some of the most violent clashes between rioters and officers occurred. The memorial reads that the officers' "heroism will never be forgotten."
Despite legislative approval and funding, the plaque is currently stored in a Capitol basement utility room. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, blamed House Republicans and Speaker Mike Johnson directly.
"The reason why the law hasn't been complied with and a plaque hasn't been erected is because Republicans, directed by their puppet master Donald Trump, have been told, try to erase January 6th, as if it has never happened," Jeffries said in a press briefing.
The delay has resurfaced amid National Police Week, prompting renewed calls for action. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said during a recent Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, "We know the plaque was made, we know it is here in the Capitol and I have yet to see one good reason why the speaker hasn't put it up yet."
The Washington Post reported that the plaque was created to fulfill a mandate honoring the more than 140 officers injured during the riot, including five who died in its aftermath. However, its placement stalled shortly after Republicans gained control of the House in January 2023.
Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, who recently announced his retirement, criticized a separate $5 million settlement granted by the Trump administration to the family of Ashli Babbitt, the rioter fatally shot during the breach. Manger reportedly called the payment a "chilling message" to law enforcement.
Former President Trump has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the January 6 insurrection and has promised pardons for those prosecuted in connection with the attack. According to The Washington Post, he issued blanket pardons to more than 1,500 individuals on his first day in office during his second term.
Though Capitol Police unions have not publicly commented on the plaque controversy, Democrats say the matter underscores broader Republican resistance to formally acknowledging the Capitol assault.
"This is where there's a clear difference between Democrats and Republicans," Jeffries stated. "House Democrats have made it clear, we are going to respect and honor those law enforcement officials and police officers who defended this Capitol on January 6th."
