U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) looks on, after President Donald Trump delivered remarks on tariffs, in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
A group of Democrats in the House of Representatives unveiled replicas of a plaque on Monday that was designed to commemorate the officers who defended the Capitol during the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, when a group of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the building.
The creation of the plaque was mandated in the 2022 spending bill. However, it has collected dust in a storage facility since Republicans took control of Congress. Democrats are pushing for provisions that require the plaque to be installed as part of the 2026 spending bill, but it's unclear whether those negotiations will come to bare.
Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Joe Morelle (D-NY), and Jim McGovern (D-MA) led the effort to create the replicas. In a "Dear Colleague" letter that the group sent to other representatives, they argued that the GOP's efforts to hide the original plaque are an "embarrassing violation of law and spectacular disregard for the valor."
Jan. 6 has become a point of contention between Democrats and Republicans. To Democrats, the date reflects one of the darkest moments of U.S. history. Republicans have worked to change the public's perception of that day, calling it everything from a routine tour of the Capitol to a "day of love," as President Trump has described it.
"This is the way to thank people for defending our Capitol and defending our democracy," Morelle said in a video posted on X.