The action happened swiftly, with brief debate, in floor action Thursday. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina had announced during this week's fifth anniversary of the Capitol siege that he would seek to ensure the plaque is installed, partnering with Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who was also working on the situation, and Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California. No senators objected.
"A lot of people said it was a dark day for democracy," Tillis said about Jan. 6, 2021, describing his memory of hearing the thousands of people "thugs," he said lay siege to the Capitol as Congress was tallying the 2020 election results. He said that because of the work of the law enforcement officers, it instead became a great day for democracy. "We came back and completed our constitutional duty to certify the election," he said.