> At a Glance
> – The legally required plaque honoring officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 has never been displayed
> – House Speaker Mike Johnson has not unveiled it; DOJ wants a related lawsuit dismissed
> – Roughly 100 lawmakers, mostly Democrats, now post paper replicas outside their offices
> – Why it matters: Without an official memorial, visitors tour the Capitol with no reminder of the attack, letting alternative narratives spread
Five years after rioters stormed the Capitol, the memorial that Congress ordered to honor the police response remains unseen-leaving lawmakers to create their own paper stand-ins while lawsuits and political divisions stall formal remembrance.
The Vanishing Plaque
The 2022 spending bill required a bronze plaque listing officers who responded to the violence and gave officials one year to install it near the Capitol’s west front, where some of the fiercest fighting occurred.
- The Architect of the Capitol says it acquired the plaque but cannot comment because of ongoing litigation
- Officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges sued this summer, arguing that delay “encourages this rewriting of history”
- DOJ attorneys counter that displaying the plaque would not stop alleged death threats the officers face
A Hallway of Makeshift Memorials
With no central marker, about 100 members of Congress have taped poster-board replicas outside their office doors, turning House office buildings into corridors of handwritten tributes.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon explained the purpose:
> “That’s why you put up a plaque. You respect the memory and the service of the people involved.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin predicted future Capitol tours will spotlight Jan. 6:
> “People need to study that as an essential part of American history.”
Why Memories Diverge
During the attack, more than 140 officers were injured and at least five people died. Roughly 1,500 rioters have been charged, but after returning to office President Trump pardoned them all within hours of his January 2025 inauguration.
- Trump now calls Jan. 6 a “day of love”
- House Republicans have formed a separate committee promising the “full truth” of the event
- Democrats plan a hearing this week on “ongoing threats to free and fair elections”; GOP participation is unlikely
Key Takeaways
- A legally mandated plaque honoring Jan. 6 officers has never been unveiled, prompting a federal lawsuit
- Paper replicas posted by lawmakers serve as unofficial reminders while litigation proceeds
- Competing narratives-insurrection vs. “day of love”-show fading consensus on the day’s significance
- The absence of any formal Capitol memorial leaves visitors without a historical marker five years after the attack
Until the plaque appears, lawmakers say the scattered paper versions lining the hallways will keep the memory alive-one office door at a time.
