House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that she is introducing legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal ― Congress’ highest honor ― to Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack.
“It’s been such a sad time for us,” Pelosi said in her weekly press conference, referring to this week’s Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump for his role in inciting last month’s deadly insurrection at the Capitol.
“But as we see what is being presented, we also see the extraordinary valor of the Capitol Police who risked and gave their lives to save our Capitol, our democracy, our lives,” she said. “That is why I’m putting forth … legislation to pay tribute to the Capitol Police and other law enforcement personnel who protected the Capitol by giving them a Congressional Gold Medal.”
Here’s a copy of Pelosi’s resolution:
The trial has featured harrowing video footage showing violence from that day, but also moments of heroism by police officers who helped lawmakers narrowly escape a mob of white supremacist Trump supporters intent on killing political leaders including Pelosi and former Vice President Mike Pence. In one clip, Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, already hailed a hero for diverting rioters away from the Senate doors, can be seen ushering Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) out of a hallway just before the mob appears.
Five people died during the attack, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. Two other police officers died by suicide days later.
“We must always remember their sacrifice and stay vigilant against what I’ve said before, about what Abraham Lincoln said: ‘The silent artillery of time,’” Pelosi said. “We will never forget.”
Briefly choking up, the House speaker said it was an honor to pay tribute to Sicknick, who laid in honor in the Capitol Rotunda earlier this month. Grateful lawmakers want to recognize his bravery, she said, as well as the bravery of the other two police officers who died, Howard Liebengood and Jeffrey Smith.
“And then also, of course, of Officer Goodman for his valor,” she added.
The House and Senate have already introduced identical, bipartisan bills to honor Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal. It appears Pelosi’s bill will be broader, honoring the three officers who died in addition to Goodman.
All Congressional Gold Medal legislation has to be cosponsored by at least two-thirds of the House and Senate before either chamber’s committees will consider those bills. The Senate bill honoring Goodman has crossed that threshold, but the House version has not.
Later Thursday, Pelosi sent a Dear Colleague letter to all House lawmakers inviting them to cosponsor her bill.