Family of fallen officer snubs McCarthy and McConnell as Congress honors law enforcement who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6

The household of a fallen officer snubbed high congressional Republicans on Tuesday at a ceremony held to honor regulation enforcement who defended the US Capitol in the course of the January 6, 2021, riot.

In a second of obvious stress, the household of US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who suffered strokes and died of pure causes at some point after responding to the January 6 riot, refused to shake palms with both Home GOP Chief Kevin McCarthy or Senate Republican Chief Mitch McConnell once they accepted the medal.

Gladys Sicknick, mom of fallen officer Brian Sicknick, was requested by CNN why she didn’t shake McCarthy and McConnell’s palms on the gold medal ceremony.

“They’re simply two-faced,” she stated to CNN. “I’m simply uninterested in them standing there and saying how fantastic the Capitol police is after which they flip round and … go all the way down to Mar-a-Lago and kiss his ring and are available again and stand right here and sit with – it simply, it simply hurts.”

Whereas McCarthy has visited former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago a number of instances, McConnell has been vital of Trump previously and refused to facet with the previous president in regards to the occasions of January 6, condemning him for his actions.

McConnell was requested in regards to the incident later within the day on Tuesday. “I’d reply by saying right this moment we gave the gold medal to the heroes of January 6. We admire and respect them. They laid their lives on the road and that’s why we gave a gold medal right this moment to the heroes of January 6.”

Congressional leaders had gathered Tuesday within the Capitol Rotunda to current the Congressional Gold Medal – the best honor Congress can bestow – to the officers of the US Capitol Police and the DC Metropolitan Police Division who defended the Capitol on January 6.

“January 6 was a day of horror and heartbreak. Additionally it is a second of extraordinary heroism,” Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated. “Staring down lethal violence and despicable bigotry, our regulation enforcement officers bravely stood within the breach guaranteeing that democracy survived on that darkish day.”

“So on behalf of the USA Congress and the American individuals, it’s my honor to current the Congressional Gold Medal to the USA Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police and each hero of January 6, from each agent that responded that day.”

The Senate unanimously handed the laws through voice vote, and whereas there was vast bipartisan assist within the Home for the awarding of the medals, 21 Home Republicans voted towards the laws. The awarding of the medal comes simply forward of the Home choose committee investigating January 6 anticipating to launch their closing report after an 18-month investigation of the riot.

4 medals will probably be minted – one displayed on the headquarters of the US Capitol Police, one at MPD headquarters, one other within the Capitol and a fourth will probably be despatched to the Smithsonian Establishment.

US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger accepted the award on behalf of his power, and paid particular tribute to the DC officers “who got here to our help that day.”

“Phrases can not adequately specific our gratitude for what you probably did to assist our officers by becoming a member of within the struggle that was going down,” Manger stated.

McCarthy, who known as on former President Donald Trump to “settle for his share of duty” for the violence that was visited upon the Capitol however has since walked again these feedback, stated in the course of the medal ceremony that “we’re ceaselessly indebted” to the officers for his or her heroism, and that “right this moment we take an necessary step in the direction of repaying the debt.”

“I hope each American will see this award and really feel the gratitude for each regulation enforcement officer who reply the decision of responsibility every single day, however particularly the Capitol Cops and the MPD,” McCarthy stated. “

Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee acknowledged that for a lot of officers that stuffed the Rotunda, the ceremony marked their first time within the Capitol because the riot.

“The pressing request for the Metropolitan Police Division to help in defending the US Capitol is one thing that you’ll carry with you for the remainder of your careers and lives,” he instructed his officers. “You responded such as you do each day, with out hesitation, with braveness and an unwavering responsibility to uphold your oath.”

“You didn’t quit. You didn’t give in. And sure, you had been vastly outnumbered. However you had been decided, exhausted and injured. It’ll present your sweat and your tears that mark these realms the place we stand right this moment,” Contee stated. “You present the world only a glimpse of what we’re.”

US Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who was seen main a mob away from the Senate chamber doorways on January 6, was joined by fellow USCP Officer Harry Dunn, MPD Officers Daniel Hodges, and retired MPD officer Michael Fanone in the course of the ceremony. The 4 have additionally testified earlier than congressional committees in regards to the occasions of that day.

The laws awarding the medal named a number of particular person officers, together with Goodman, for his or her valor, and paid tribute to the officers who misplaced their lives to suicide within the days and weeks following the riot.

“Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, Metropolitan Police Division Officer Jeffrey Smith, and people who sustained accidents, and the braveness of Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, exemplify the patriotism and the dedication of Capitol Cops, and people of different regulation enforcement businesses, to threat their lives in service of our nation,” the invoice textual content states.

Rep. Liz Cheney, as she was headed into the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony for the officers who defended the Capitol on January 6, ripped into the 21 Home Republicans who voted towards the invoice.

“I don’t see how anyone with any self-respect might vote towards honoring the courageous women and men who fought and defended the Capitol and the Structure that day,” Cheney instructed CNN.

Cheney additionally tore into McCarthy for not condemning former Trump over calling to terminate the Structure and having dinner with White nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and rapper Kanye West at his Mar-a-Lago property in November.

“There’s no query at this level that he’s keen to desert all precept, together with these which might be probably the most essentially necessary about who we’re as a nation, for his personal craven political ambition,” she stated.

Requested what she thinks of right this moment’s Republican Celebration, Cheney stated she thinks they’re in a harmful place.

“The Home Republican convention proper now could be actually on the mercy of individuals in our convention who’ve expressed anti-Semitic, white supremacist views,” she stated. “I believe it’s a really harmful factor. And I believe that an actual chief would have rejected these views, and could be presenting to the American individuals the form of struggle for precept on which the occasion has lengthy been based mostly.”