Congress Awards Medals to Police Who Responded to Jan. 6 Riot

Politics|Congress awards golden medal to constabulary officers who responded to the Capitol riot.

• Aug. 3, 2021, 1:09 p.m. ET

Congress moved connected Tuesday to grant its highest civilian grant to constabulary officers who responded to the Capitol Jan. 6 riot, clearing a measure to springiness them the Congressional Gold Medal.

The Senate voted unanimously to o.k. the authorities during a week erstwhile District of Columbia constabulary officials person announced that 2 much officers who were astatine the Capitol connected Jan. 6 person died by suicide, bringing the full fig to four.

“Jan. 6 unleashed galore horrors, but it besides revealed galore heroes,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the bulk leader, said Tuesday. “A time that galore of america retrieve for its violence, choler and demolition was not without its stock of bravery, selflessness and sacrifice.”

The legislation, which was shepherded by Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, and Senator Roy Blunt, Republican of Missouri, present heads to the table of President Biden, who is expected to motion it.

The Senate voted successful February to grant a Congressional Gold Medal to Officer Eugene Goodman, who led rioters distant from the Senate chamber, and directed Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, distant from the mob.

The House successful June expanded the measurement to use to each members of the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police forces who were progressive successful the Jan. 6 response, and passed that authorities overwhelmingly, though 21 far-right Republicans voted against the bill.

When Ms. Klobuchar brought that mentation up connected Tuesday, cipher objected, allowing it to walk without a recorded vote, a rarity successful the polarized Congress.

“I americium inactive stunned by what happened successful the House, wherever 21 members of the Republican caucus voted against this legislation,” Mr. Schumer said. “The Senate is different.”

The grant means 4 Congressional Gold Medals honoring the officers volition beryllium displayed astatine the office of the Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police, the Smithsonian and the Capitol. The plaque astatine the Capitol volition database each the instrumentality enforcement agencies that helped support the building.

The grant comes during a acheronian week for the instrumentality enforcement officers who were connected work during the Capitol attack. The Metropolitan Police Department announced that 2 much of its officers who responded took their ain lives past month.

Officer Gunther Hashida, a subordinate of the Emergency Response Team wrong the Special Operations Division, was recovered dormant successful his residence connected Thursday. Officer Hashida joined Metropolitan Police successful 2003, the section announced. Officer Kyle DeFreytag, who joined the unit successful 2016, was recovered dormant connected July 10, it said.

Mr. Schumer called their deaths “heaping calamity upon tragedy.”

Capitol Police Officer Howard S. Liebengood and Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, some of whom defended the Capitol during the attack, besides took their ain lives soon afterward. Family members and legislature representatives of some person pressed to classify their suicides arsenic line-of-duty deaths, a determination that an adjutant to Speaker Nancy Pelosi told The New York Times she favors.

Around 140 constabulary officers suffered injuries during the onslaught and 15 were hospitalized. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick died of a changeable aft clashing with the mob.

Last week, 4 officers described successful excruciating item the horrors they suffered astatine the hands of the rioters, recounting their experiences successful sworn grounds to the prime committee investigating the attack.