Proponents of the House measure have argued that the honor should not go just to one person, given the collective contributions made that day, in which a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters violently stormed the Capitol as Congress was in the process of certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
The bill that passed Tuesday evening would bestow the Gold Medal to the Capitol Police and local D.C. police, as well as commend other federal officers who assisted the response to the insurrection.
The House overwhelmingly passed the measure 406-21, with the “no“ votes coming solely from Republicans. Only 12 voted against the March measure, another sign of how GOP sentiment of the rioters has softened in the months since the mob overran the Capitol for several hours. Several Republican members of Congress have subsequently downplayed the danger on display that day, and GOP senators recently blocked the creation of an independent panel to investigate the events surrounding that day.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who voted against the bill, said he opposed it because of its wording — specifically, sections calling the events of Jan. 6 an “insurrection” and the Capitol a “temple of democracy.”
“I think it was a mob, but I don’t think it was an insurrection,” he said.
To use the kind of language the bill did would have a “bearing on the case” of those facing federal prosecution, Massie added.
The Senate has introduced a bill matching the legislation passed by the House and is likely to pass it at some point, as well.
Lawmakers have tried to walk a fine line in the wake of the insurrection, praising the actions of officers and other responders on the front line while also sharply criticizing some law enforcement leaders — several of whom have since stepped down — for their handling of the situation.
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
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