This Jan. 6 plaque was made to honor law enforcement. It's nowhere to be found at the Capitol
WASHINGTON (AP) Approaching the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the official plaque honoring the police who defended democracy that day is nowhere to be found.
Its not on display at the Capitol, as is required by law. Its whereabouts arent publicly known, though its believed to be in storage.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has yet to formally unveil the plaque. And the Trump administrations Department of Justice is seeking to dismiss a police officers lawsuit asking that it be displayed as intended. The Architect of the Capitol, which was responsible for obtaining and displaying the plaque, said in light of the federal litigation, it cannot comment.
https://apnews.com/article/capitol-riot-jan-6-anniversary-police-plaque-f6fd39b437c339fa9ff477318a7d36e2
democrank
(12,161 posts)The installation of this important plaque is required by law, but dont forget ..the law doesnt apply to Trump.
marble falls
(71,104 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(175,022 posts)The GOP leader had plenty of time to come up with an excuse for his refusal. He didnt come up with much.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/january-6-anniversary-plaque-mike-johnson
That deadline lapsed almost three years ago. The plaque is done and ready to be installed, but its reportedly sitting in a Capitol basement utility room surrounded by tools and maintenance equipment.
Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin confirmed during a congressional hearing last year that the only thing standing in the way of installing the plaque is the approval from House Speaker Mike Johnsons office approval the Louisiana Republican has not extended for reasons hes been reluctant to explain. (Austin also needed approval from Senate leaders, which he has already received.)
On the eve of the Jan. 6 anniversary, the House speaker elaborated on his position. The Associated Press reported:
Speaker Johnsons office said in a statement late Monday the statute authorizing the plaque is not implementable and proposed alternatives also do not comply.
The GOP leader has had quite a bit of time to come up with a coherent explanation for his refusal to honor the officers who protected the Capitol. This, evidently, is what hes come up with.
Meanwhile, two Jan. 6 police officers, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and current Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges, filed a lawsuit last summer to force congressional leaders to follow the law. Donald Trumps Justice Department weighed in on the case last month, telling a federal court to reject the litigation, though the case is still pending.
For their part, many congressional Democrats have replicas of the plaque hung outside their Capitol Hill offices. If those same Democrats are in the majority after this years midterm elections, no one should be surprised if the real plaque is installed where its supposed to be in early 2027.