During a press briefing on Thursday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) spoke about how Democrats can force Republicans to display a plaque that honors Capitol Police.
00:00Earlier today, several House Democrats held a press conference outside calling on Speaker Johnson to put up the flag honoring the January 6th first responders.
00:12Is there anything you can do as minority leaders to try and force them to put it up?
00:20This is police week, and it's a week where we honor the service and the sacrifice, the heroism, the courage, and the bravery of the law enforcement.
00:30Community and also pay our respects to those fallen officers and support the families of those officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
00:44In the context of police week, it seems to us that respecting the members of the Capitol Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol,
01:05the Constitution, and the country on January 6th is something that should happen immediately.
01:15There was a law that was passed in 2022 requiring a plaque to be placed in a position of honor on the Western Front of the Capitol.
01:30By March 15th of 2023, listing the names of the brave officers who defended us as members of Congress on that fateful day on January 6th against a violent mob.
01:51About 140 officers were seriously injured as a result of defending the Capitol, and several subsequently died as it relates to things that unfolded on that day.
02:12This is where there's a clear difference between Democrats and Republicans, this is where there's a clear difference between Democrats and Republicans.
02:19House Democrats have made it clear, we're going to respect and honor those law enforcement officials and police officers who defended this Capitol on January 6th.
02:31Republicans would rather pardon violent felons who attacked police officers on that day.
02:42That's what they've done, pardoned thousands of people who were part of that violent mob, many of whom who brutally beat police officers and are now back at home across the country threatening the safety and well-being of people in the United States of America.
03:05It's outrageous.
03:06And on the House floor yesterday, when we asked for unanimous consent to discharge legislation that would make this happen, the Republicans rejected it.
03:17Why?
03:18Because they don't support honoring those officers on January 6th.
03:25And they should be held to account for it.
03:29The reason why the law hasn't been complied with and a plaque hasn't been erected is because Republicans, directed by their puppet master Donald Trump, have been told, try to erase January 6th, as if it has never happened.
03:48A race January 6th, you pardoned violent felons who brutally attacked police officers on January 6th, as part of some effort, perhaps to overturn the results of an election where Donald Trump was defeated by Joe Biden.
04:09And we're going to stay on this case until the officers who defended the Capitol of the United States of America on January 6th are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
