Five years after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, controversy erupted over a plaque meant to honor law enforcement who protected lawmakers during the attack.
House speakers Kevin McCarthy and Mike Johnson have refused to display the plaque, saying it only lists agencies instead of naming every officer as Congress intended.
North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley led a bipartisan push to resolve the issue, stressing the heroic efforts and sacrifices of Capitol police on that day.
Merkley voiced concern about the plaque being hidden away and criticized a White House website for mischaracterizing the attack as a “peaceful protest.”
In a unanimous move, the Senate voted to have the Architect of the Capitol hang the plaque in a prominent public spot on the Senate side until a final agreement is reached.
The timeline for installation is still uncertain.
