Jan. 6 Memorial Plaque, Once Stored in a Capitol Basement, Will Temporarily Hang in Senate After Unanimous Vote

On the evening of the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office said federal law requires Congress to install a permanent plaque honoring the law-enforcement officers who defended the building — but called the statute "not implementable." What followed was an unexpected bipartisan move that brought the finished plaque out of storage.

Senate Moves to Display the Plaque

After the announcement, many observers assumed the plaque would remain out of public view. Instead, a Senate resolution offered by Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) was adopted by unanimous consent, directing the Architect of the Capitol to "prominently display" the plaque in the Senate wing until a permanent location is decided.

Sen. Tillis told the Senate, "We owe them eternal gratitude, and this nation is stronger because of them."

Background And Where The Plaque Had Been

The plaque was created to comply with a statute that required it to be installed on the western side of the Capitol by March 2023 and to list the names of the law-enforcement personnel who served on Jan. 6. That deadline passed nearly three years ago. Although the plaque was manufactured and ready for installation, it had been stored in a Capitol basement utility room among tools and maintenance equipment.

A replica plaque commemorating the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot stands outside the office of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)(Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP Photo)

What Happens Next

The resolution passed without opposition; had a single Senate Republican objected, the measure would have failed. The vote did not require approval from the House or the White House. The New York Times reported that the Senate Rules Committee is expected to work out the precise timing and location for hanging the plaque in the Senate wing.

Comments From House Leaders

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told NBC News this week that Democrats would properly install the plaque should they regain the House following the 2026 midterm elections. "Just wait 10 more months. [House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries] will be speaker, and we will place it in the place of honor," Pelosi said on the anniversary of the riot. Asked where the plaque would go, she added, "Speaker Jeffries will decide that."

Context: The plaque’s temporary display resolves a months-long limbo between the law that authorized the memorial and political disagreement over implementing that law. The Architect of the Capitol will oversee the temporary installation while the Senate Rules Committee and other stakeholders determine a permanent placement.