Dems relocate Jan 6 plaque to prominent spot
The gist
Rep. Joe Morelle said Democrats will relocate the Jan 6 police plaque once they take the House majority in January.
The memorial honoring officers who defended the Capitol was installed in a basement hallway.
How it unfolded
- 2022A Democratic-controlled Congress passed legislation authorizing a plaque honoring the officers who defended the Capitol, directing the Architect of the Capitol to place it permanently on the building's western front.
- Jan 2026House Speaker Mike Johnson's office said the authorizing statute was "not implementable" and that proposed alternatives did not comply with its requirements. The Senate passed a resolution with no objections directing the Architect of the Capitol to prominently display the plaque in a publicly accessible spot in the Senate wing.
- Mar 7, 2026The plaque was installed in a basement hallway on the Senate side of the Capitol, outside the regular public tour route; a reporter witnessed the installation about 4 a.m. EST.
Key terms
- Architect of the Capitol
- A federal agency in the U.S. legislative branch that maintains, operates, and manages the Capitol Complex and its buildings.
- resolution
- A formal motion, often written, adopted by a deliberative body such as a legislature.
Source: Wikipedia