> At a Glance
> – The congressionally-mandated plaque honoring police who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 remains in storage
> – House Speaker Mike Johnson has not unveiled it; DOJ wants a related lawsuit dismissed
> – About 100 lawmakers have taped up poster-board replicas outside their offices
> – Why it matters: Without the official memorial, visitors find no Capitol marker of the attack, fueling what lawmakers call a “culture of forgetting”
Five years after the Capitol assault, the bronze plaque Congress ordered to honor the officers who fought off rioters is nowhere in sight. Instead, printer-paper stand-ins line the hallway walls, turning the complex into a patchwork of DIY tributes.
The Missing Memorial
The 2022 spending bill gave officials one year to install the plaque near the Capitol’s west front where some of the fiercest clashes occurred. The Architect of the Capitol confirmed the plaque was received but said it cannot comment because of pending litigation.
- Location required by law: near the west front terrace
- Deadline set by Congress: March 2023
- Current status: believed stored, no date for unveiling
Lawsuit to Force Installation
Capitol Police officers Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges sued this summer, arguing the delay signals that Congress “refuses to recognize” the officers’ service.
Justice Department lawyers, now under the second Trump administration, asked a federal judge to toss the case. They contend Congress has already “publicly recognized” officers by authorizing the plaque and that displaying it would not stop alleged death threats the plaintiffs say they still receive.
> “By refusing to follow the law and honor officers as it is required to do, Congress encourages this rewriting of history.”
> – Officers Dunn & Hodges lawsuit
A Capitol of Paper Memories
Roughly 100 mostly Democratic members have taped up replicas printed on standard paper. The faux-bronze text reads:
> “On behalf of a grateful Congress, this plaque honors the extraordinary individuals who bravely protected and defended this symbol of democracy on Jan. 6, 2021. Their heroism will never be forgotten.”
Visitors passing through the building encounter these makeshift memorials rather than an official installation.
Rep. Jamie Raskin says the display keeps the story alive for “new generations who don’t understand how close we came to losing our democracy.” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, also of the disbanded Jan. 6 committee, adds:
> “They really saved my life, and they saved the democracy and they deserve to be thanked for it.”
Diverging Narratives
While the Jan. 6 committee Democrats continue to hold hearings on “ongoing threats to free and fair elections,” Republicans led by Speaker Johnson-who once voted to challenge 2020 results-have created a separate panel to examine what they call the “full truth” of the day.
| Key Figures | 2021 Statement | 2025 Position |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | condemned by many in GOP | calls it a “day of love” and pardoned ~1,500 defendants |
| Mike Johnson | voted against certifying some results | Speaker, plaque still not unveiled |
Key Takeaways
- Congress mandated a plaque in 2022; the deadline passed two years ago
- DOJ wants the officers’ lawsuit dismissed, calling broader recognition unnecessary
- With no bipartisan memorial events planned, Democrats will hold their own commemoration
- About 100 DIY plaques now dot House office buildings, substituting for the official bronze version
The standoff leaves the Capitol’s corridors as the only monument to an attack lawmakers once vowed never to forget.
