A dozen Republicans voted against a resolution honoring US Capitol police for their efforts to protect members of Congress during the January 6 uprising.
The House voted 413-12 on Wednesday to award Congressional gold medals, the Congress’ “highest expression of national appreciation,” to all members of the Capitol police force.
Republicans who opposed this honor included Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Thomas Massie of Kentucky. They and other members of the opposition said they had problems with the text of the legislation.
Massie told reporters he disagreed with the terms “insurrection” and “temple” in the legislation.
The resolution said: “On January 6, 2021, a mob of rebels forced their way into the US Capitol building and Congress buildings and engaged in acts of vandalism, looting and violently attacked Capitol police.”
He also mentioned the three policemen who responded to the attack and died shortly afterwards – Capitol police officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood and Metropolitan Police Department officer Jeffrey Smith – and said seven other people had died and more than 140 policemen were injured.
“The desecration of the US Capitol, which is the temple of our American democracy, and the violence against Congress are horrors that will forever tarnish our nation’s history,” said the project.
Louie Gohmert, a Texan deputy, said in a statement that the text “does not honor anyone, but seeks to conduct a narrative that is not supported by known facts”.
Gohmert separately distributed a competing bill to honor the Capitol police that did not mention the January 6 attack according to a copy obtained by the Politico. His text also mentioned the officers who died after the insurrection, but did not specify the circumstances of their deaths, writing instead: “Everyone died in January 2021.”
The other Republicans who voted against the legislation were Andy Biggs of Arizona, Andy Harris of Maryland, Lance Gooden of Texas, Michael Cloud of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Greg Steube of Florida, Bob Good of Virginia and John Rose of Tennessee.
All opponents of the bill, except Massie, voted against the state’s electoral votes in the presidential election in the hours after the insurrection.