Senate passes bill to award Capitol Police officer Congressional Gold Medal

The Senate on Friday passed legislation to award Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal for his actions responding to the violent Jan. 6 riot.

The Senate passed the legislation unanimously as it wrapped up the fourth day of former President Trump’s impeachment trial, injecting a rare moment of bipartisanship in what has been a week marked by deep political divides. 

The Senate broke out in applause for Goodman, who was in the chamber as they passed the bill, minutes before passing the bill by unanimous consent. 

Goodman has been praised as a hero for leading the mob away from an immediate entrance to the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 as staffers were racing to lock down the chamber. 

A video posted on Twitter by HuffPost’s Igor Bobic shows Goodman being chased by rioters as he heads to the second floor of the Senate side of the Capitol building. Goodman then leads the mob, who were within feet of entrance to the Senate chamber, to a back corridor where other law enforcement officers were waiting. 

Bobic said the incident happened at 2:14 p.m., while a pool report from a reporter sheltering in the Senate chamber said it was locked down at 2:15 p.m. 

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) acknowledged on Friday that Goodman’s actions might have prevented rioters coming face-to-face with senators. 

“If not for the quick thinking and bravery of Officer Eugene Goodman, in particular, people in this chamber may not have escaped that day unharmed,” he said. 

New video this week from the House impeachment managers also showed Goodman directing Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) back into the Senate chamber as rioters broke into the building.

“Here in this trial, we saw new video, powerful video, showing his calmness under pressure, his courage in the line of duty, his foresight in the midst of chaos, and his willingness to make himself a target of the mob’s rage so that others might reach safety,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. 

“Officer Goodman is in the chamber tonight. Officer Goodman: thank you,” he added. 

The bill still needs to pass the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has said that Democrats will soon grant the Congressional Gold Medal to the officers on duty guarding the Capitol when it was attacked on Jan. 6.

–Updated at 9:44 p.m.