Democrats press for long-delayed plaque to honor Jan. 6 victims, police heroes [View all]

Source: CBS News

January 15, 2025 / 11:59 PM EST


President-elect Donald Trump won't have to walk beneath a plaque honoring Jan. 6 heroes when he takes the oath of office on the west front of the Capitol Monday. That's because more than four years after the Capitol riot, a new dispute is emerging over a plaque to honor the heroes and victims of the assault.

A 2022 law passed by Congress, and signed by President Biden, required a plaque to be placed on the west front of the Capitol complex by March 2023. Republican House leaders, all of whom are closely aligned with Trump, have yet to erect the plaque, nor have they offered any timetable to do so.

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, a group of nearly 60 House Democrats wrote, "As Members of Congress, we owe a debt of gratitude to these brave officers who defended the Capitol and allowed us to get to safety. We request an update from you regarding your timeline for following the law and placing this plaque." Among the House Democrats pressing for the plaque is Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado who was among those trapped in the upper level of the House Chamber as rioters laid siege to the Capitol.

Crow and colleagues wrote to Johnson, "Every day Congress fails to live up to our promised actions, we do a disservice to our men and women in uniform who help protect members of Congress, congressional staff, our constituents, and the American people." Other Democrats who have signed the letter to Johnson include former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, some members of the House Jan. 6 select committee and other Democrats who were trapped in close proximity to the violent mob.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-press-for-jan-6-plaque-capitol/