Two officers present at the January 6 insurrection filed a lawsuit Thursday after Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., and congressional Republicans refused to install a memorial plaque marking the 2021 insurrection.
The lawsuit names Thomas Austin, architect of the Capitol, as the defendant. The real target, though, appears to be Johnson, who has failed to instruct the Capitol archictect to install the plaque; he plaintiffs hope the lawsuit will compel him to do so.
The plaque currently sits in a basement on Capitol Hill. It reads: “On behalf of a grateful Congress, this plaque honors the extraordinary individuals who bravely protected and defended this symbol of democracy on January 6, 2021. Their heroism will never be forgotten.”
At a press conference, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was joined by former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and D.C. Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges, both present at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Hodges was badly injured during the attack.
"And yet," Raskin said, "their heroism has already been forgotten and submerged and suppressed by Speaker Johnson and Donald Trump and the others who refused to put the plaque up and are doing everything they can to rewrite the history of what actually happened on January 6."
"We haven't asked for much," Dunn said. "We've asked for accountability, and we've asked for the plaque to be put up." Dunn said officers wanted acknowledgment for those members of law enforcement who were present at the insurrection, as well as accountability from those who rioted.
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A law passed in the March 2022 government spending bill declared, "the Architect of the Capitol shall obtain an honorific plaque," and "shall place the plaque at a permanent location on the western front of the United States Capitol." It was supposed to be completed by March 2023. In January 2024, Johnson was "determining a path forward" for the plaque, according to a spokesperson speaking with Roll Call.
"It didn't work. So, now we're working with the courts to compel Congress to follow their own law," said Dunn.
A spokesperson for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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"I just want to see the law followed and the plaque put up where it belongs," said Hodges. He went on to argue that the plaque should stand as a reminder of the insurrection and for "the sacrifices that were made."
"You know, democracy is not guaranteed," Hodges continued. "Our republic is only as strong as the people who participate in it."
Over 140 officers were injured and wounded in the attack on the Capitol. One officer died of a stroke, and four others died by suicide in the following months.
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