Gohmert: We can honor Capitol Police for handling rioters — but don't mention riot

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) is circulating a new resolution among his GOP colleagues that would give congressional gold medals to law enforcement officers who responded to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. But there’s a catch: Gohmert doesn’t want it to mention the insurrection at all, Politico reported.

Gohmert’s resolution is supposed to be an alternative to a resolution House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced, which is set to be voted on later Wednesday afternoon.

Pelosi’s resolution is intended to give three congressional gold medals to “the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.”

The text of Pelosi’s resolution reads, “On January 6, 2021, a mob of insurrectionists forced its way into the U.S. Capitol building and congressional office buildings and engaged in acts of vandalism, looting, and violently attacked Capitol Police officers.”

The resolution goes on to state, “The desecration of the U.S. Capitol, which is the temple of our American Democracy, and the violence targeting Congress are horrors … will forever stain our Nation’s history.”

Politico reported that some House Republicans are mad that Pelosi’s resolution mentions the insurrection at all, even though the gold medal is being awarded for law enforcement actions made during the violent attack from the Donald Trump-supporting mob. The insurrection left five people dead, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.

Gohmert’s resolution, however, removes mention of the insurrection and merely says that Sicknick — who died while responding to the insurrection — merely “passed in January 2021.”

Gohmert is one of the GOP lawmakers who tried to blame the insurrection on “antifa” — the loose movement of anti-fascists that Trump and Republicans have tried to turn into bogeymen.

But investigations have proven Antifa had nothing to do with the insurrection, which was carried out by Trump supporters. Still, Republicans — like Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) — are continuing to push that lie.

Politico reported it’s possible that members of the right-wing “House Freedom Caucus” — of which Gohmert is a member — will vote against the resolution giving out the gold medal because it mentions the insurrection.

Already, the vote to give out the congressional gold medals was postponed from last week.

Democrats had wanted the resolution to be passed quickly by a voice vote, which does not require every member of Congress to cast a yea or nay.

However, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) wanted to demand a roll call vote on this and other bipartisan and uncontroversial legislation in order to delay the passage of the coronavirus relief package.

It led Democrats to pull the bills so the relief bill would pass before March 14 — when a weekly unemployment insurance boost was set to expire.

Democrats condemned Greene’s move at the time, calling it “despicable.”

Despite the GOP opposition to the Democrats’ version of the resolution giving out the gold medals, it’s virtually assured to pass the Democratic-controlled House.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.