Steube Votes Against Congressional Medal For Capitol Police

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Although the U.S. House passed legislation Wednesday to honor Capitol Police for their efforts during the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, 12 Republicans voted against it.

The bill, H.R. 1085, calls for awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers who responded to the insurrection. It calls for copies of the medal to be given to the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department, while a third will be displayed at the Smithsonian Institute.

The bill passed 413-12 and heads to the Senate, where it’s expected to pass.

Rep. Greg Steube, who represents Florida’s 17th District, which includes portions of Sarasota County, voted against the bill. He was among Florida leaders who condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol.

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died after being injured during the riot. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Jeffrey Smith both died of suicide after assisting with efforts to defend the Capitol during the riot.

"The violence and lawlessness we saw today was completely unacceptable, and as a nation, we must do better," he said Jan. 6. "As I condemned the violence we saw in our nation's capital from BLM and antifa, I condemn violence and rioting of any kind, by any group or organization."

Steube hasn’t indicated why he voted against the bill on his social media pages. Patch contacted his office for a comment.

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Other Republicans who voted against the bill have expressed unhappiness with the bill’s language, however. The bill describes the Capitol as “the temple of our American Democracy” and called rioters “a mob of insurrectionists.”

Another Floridian, Rep. Matt Gaetz, who represents the state’s 1st District, called the bill “offensive,” complaining that it included “editorial comments about the Jan. 6 sequence of events,” Politico reported.

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, expressed concerns that the language of the bill could be used by prosecutors and disagreed with the description of the Capitol building, reports said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) said the bill contained “partisan charged language,” and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also disputed the language, Forbes said.

Other representatives who voted against it include Andy Biggs (AZ), Michael Cloud (TX), Andrew Clyde (GA), Louie Gohmert (TX), Bob Good (VA), Lance Gooden (TX) and John Rose (TN).

Gohmert is reportedly drafting an alternative version of the bill that leaves out any references to Jan. 6.