Reps. Greene, Rose among 21 Republicans to vote no on bill awarding Congressional Gold Medal for Jan. 6 police officers

Patrick Filbin, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn.
·2 min read

Jun. 20—U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, was among 21 House Republicans last week who voted against a bill that will award the Congressional Gold Medal to the officers who defended the Capitol during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

The measure passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support from 406 lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday.

In a statement to the Times Free Press, Greene said she is instead backing another piece of legislation by U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, that shows her support for law enforcement.

"I proudly Back The Blue," Greene said. "That's why I'm cosponsoring Rep. Gohmert's H.R. 1965 to award gold medals to the Capitol Police and introduced H.R. 2446 to award gold medals to the brave police officers who protected us against the Black Lives Matter and Antifa domestic terrorism that burned down cities and left dozens of Americans dead over the past year."

Rep. John Rose of Tennessee, Barry Moore of Alabama and Andrew Clyde and Jody Hice of Georgia were also among the 21 who voted no.

The number of Republicans who voted against the bill nearly doubled from March, when an initial version of the legislation received a dozen "no" votes. Lawmakers who voted no at the time objected to the use of the term "insurrectionists" in the resolution. Greene and Rose were among those few.

The House and Senate then spent months deciding whether to honor all law enforcement officers who responded on Jan. 6 or to award the Congressional Gold Medal to one officer, Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who single-handedly diverted an angry mob away from the Senate chamber.

Ultimately, the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia will be honored with the gold medal, and a gold medal will also be prepared for display at the Smithsonian Institution and elsewhere recognizing all law enforcement agencies that protected the Capitol during the attack.

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Ooltewah, and U.S. Rep. Scott Desjarlais, R-Sherwood, voted yes on the legislation. Their offices did not respond to a request for comment.

The medal, given by Congress, is a symbol of national appreciation for distinguished achievements.

Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.