Watch Live: Biden signs bill honoring officers who protected Capitol
Washington — President Biden on Thursday will sign legislation awarding four Congressional Gold Medals to members of the U.S. Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department who defended the U.S. Capitol from the mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters on January 6.
The bill landed on Mr. Biden’s desk after the Senate cleared the measure Tuesday by unanimous consent. It passed the House in June with opposition from 21 Republicans. The president will sign the legislation during an event in the Rose Garden, and he and Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver remarks.
How to watch President Biden’s remarks
- What: President Biden signs a bill awarding Congressional Gold Medals for officers protecting the Capitol on January 6
- Date: Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
- Location: The White House
- Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device
The measure awards four Congressional Gold Medals in all, two of which will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department headquarters. A third will go to the Smithsonian Institution, and the final medal will be given to the Architect of the Capitol for display in the building.
Five people died and scores of people, including more than 150 police officers, were injured in the assault on the Capitol. Members of the Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police forces recounted being dragged into the crowd of rioters, beaten and tased. Others were hit with chemical sprays and attacked with flag poles, federal prosecutors have alleged in court documents.
More than 70 officers with the Capitol Police have left the department in the wake of the January 6 attack, while four officers from the two agencies who protected the Capitol died by apparent suicide. A fifth, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, died of natural causes one day after the Capitol assault.
To help alleviate the strain on the Capitol Police, Congress passed and Mr. Biden signed a $2.1 billion supplemental security spending package. The measure allocates $100 million to the Capitol Police, some of which is to backfill expected overtime until the agency can hire more officers. It also includes money for wellness and trauma support for Capitol Police officers.
