Louie Gohmert Avoids Mentioning Jan. 6 Riot in Bill to Award Capitol Police Congressional Medals

Texas Republican Representative Louie Gohmert has proposed a bill to award Capitol police with Congressional Gold Medals. But the legislation did not include a mention of the January 6 attack that resulted in the deaths of Officers Brian Sicknick, Jeffrey Smith and Howard Liebengood.

Gohmert's bill proposes that police be awarded three gold medals for their efforts to protect and serve the U.S. Capitol, which would be on display at the Capitol Police Headquarters, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Headquarters, and the Smithsonian.

The legislation listed multiple officers who have "paid with their lives in their line of duty," including Sicknick, Smith and Liebengood, who died in the wake of protecting the Capitol from a violent attack by pro-Trump supporters on January 6.

But the bill only stated that the three officers "passed in January 2021," and does not provide details into the events of that day, according to Politico reporter Melanie Zanona.

"The United States Capitol Police are essential to the protection of the U.S. Capitol, and each person who works in or visits the complex depends on them for their safety," the proposed legislation read.

"In their dedication to provide this essential safety to the U.S. Capitol, numerous Capitol police and other law enforcement have even paid with their lives while in the line of duty."

"Most recently, we mourn the losses of Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Jeffrey Smith, who all passed away in January 2021," it added.

Sicknick died shortly after sustaining injuries from protecting the Capitol after rioters stormed the building on January 6. The 41-year-old police officer was reportedly hit in the head by a fire extinguisher and assaulted with bear spray.

Sicknick has since been heralded as a hero, and was granted the tradition of lying in honor in the U.S. Capitol in February.

Liebengood, a fellow Capitol police officer, along with Smith, a D.C. police officer, both died by suicide in the aftermath of the attack. Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee confirmed to a House Committee on January 26 that the officers "took their own lives in the aftermath of that battle."

Last month, the families of both Smith and Liebengood said that they want the officers deaths to be acknowledged as "line of duty" deaths, The Washington Post reported.

"It is time the District recognized that some of the greatest risks police officers face lead to silent injuries," David P. Weber, the Smith family's attorney, told the newspaper. "Why do we say that one person is honored and another person is forgotten? They all faced the exact same circumstances."

Gohmert repeatedly supported former President Donald Trump's false claims that the presidential election had been stolen due to voter fraud.

The Texas Republican even presented a lawsuit asking Vice President Mike Pence to challenge Joe Biden's victory in the election ahead of the riot. When it was rejected, Gohmert appeared to suggest using violence.

"The bottom line is, the court is saying, 'We're not going to touch this. You have no remedy' — basically, in effect, the ruling would be that you gotta go the streets and be as violent as antifa and BLM," Gohmert told Newsmax in early January.

But the congressman has since denied that he advocated for violence, and condemned the attack on the Capitol.

"Please people; no violence. That only hurts our cause," Gohmert tweeted on January 6. "Those leading the charge like the guy in yellow with the communist hammer & sickle tattoo: stopping the violence applies to you too."

Newsweek contacted Gohmert for additional comment, but did not hear back in time for publication.