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By Annie Grayer and Kristin Wilson | CNN
Five months after the insurrection on Jan. 6, the House and Senate agreed to award the Congressional Gold Medal to officials who defended the Capitol.
But 21 House Republicans have refused to support the law, the latest reminder that members of Congress still cannot agree on the facts of the deadly unrest on Capitol Hill.
The last vote in the House on Tuesday was 406-21. The number of House Republicans voting against the bill has nearly doubled since the first time a version of the bill came to the House floor, as the vote when the bill first passed the House in March was 413-12. . Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas was the only GOP member to vote no in March and changed his vote to yes this time.
Both the House and Senate passed their own resolutions to award the medals, but the initial pieces of legislation were different. The revised bill will now be awarded three medals – one to the entire U.S. Capitol Police force, and one to the Metropolitan Police Department, “to the sacrifice of fallen officers and their families, and the contributions of other agencies. law enforcement that responded to the call of duty on January 6, 2021, can be recognized and respected in a timely manner. “
The third will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institution, with a plaque listing all law enforcement agencies that protect and defend the Capitol.
Republican Rep. Said. Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Greene told reporters she voted against the Congressional Gold Medal in U.S. Capitol Police Officers and MPD because she doesn’t believe the law should refer to Jan. 6 as an insurrection.
“I wouldn’t call it an insurrection” Greene told reporters.
Greene also said he had an issue with the language of the bill that defined the Capitol complex as “the temple of our American Democracy.”
“It’s not a temple. That’s for sure” Greene said.
The Republican Rep. Also said. Thomas Massie of Kentucky that his vote against the law was due to the language of the bill, specifically the references to the Capitol as a temple and Jan. 6 as an uprising.
“There are pending cases or trials now, charges against people, and I think if we call it an insurrection, it could have an impact on their case,” he said. “If they just want to give police recognition, they can do it without trying to make it partisan,” he said.
When asked if he thinks what happened on January 6 was an uprising, he replied, “I think it was a riot but I don’t think it was an uprising, no.”
Pressed again, he said, “they’re protesting and I don’t approve of the way they protest, but it’s not a riot. Alas. Can you imagine what a real uprising would look like?”
Other members like Reps. Andrew Clyde and Rep. Andy Biggs ignored questions from CNN asking to explain their vote.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who has been an outspoken critic of former President Donald Trump and his supporters who have remained in the House, has publicly criticized his 21 colleagues who voted against the law.
“How you can vote not here is beyond me” Kinzinger tweeted after the poll. “Then again, denial of an insurrection is also. To the brave Capitol (and DC metro PD) thank you. On the 21st: they will continue to defend your right to vote without still.”
In February, the Senate voted unanimously to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Officer Eugene Goodman, who single-handedly led a group of insurrectionists away from the Senate chamber minutes before the chamber doors were sealed with senator who is still inside. But the Act’s version of the law decided to award the medal to the entire police force instead of leaving one individual for the medal.
The law named several individual officers, including Goodman, for their bravery, saying “Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, Metropolitan Police Department Officer Jeffrey Smith, and the recipients of injuries, and the courage of Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, demonstrates the patriotism and commitment of Capitol Police officers, and other law enforcement agencies, to risk their lives in the service. in our country. “
The 21 Republicans who voted against the bill were:
Lauren Boebert of ColoradoJohn Rose of TennesseeAndy Harris of MarylandThomas Massie of KentuckyBob Good of VirginiaLouie Gohmert of TexasBarry Moore of AlabamaRalph Norman of South CarolinaMatt Rosendale of MontanaMarjorie Taylor Greene of GeorgiaChip Roy of TexasPaul Gosar of ArizonaAndy Biggs of ArizonaZarren Davidrewube of GeorgiaJody Hice of GeorgiaMary Miller of IllinoisMichael Cloud of Texas
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