Topline
The curator of the House of Representatives intends to request $25,000 to restore eight historic busts, statues and paintings that were damaged by a fire extinguisher during the Capitol riots in January.
Members of the office of the Architect of the US Capitol check for damage in the Rotunda in ... [+]
Key Facts
Curator Farar Elliot will make the request Wednesday before the House Appropriations subcommittee, according to prepared statements posted online.
The eight damaged items were found to be covered in a fine powder that Smithsonian scientists determined was discharged from a nearby fire extinguisher, residue that will require weeks of conservation work to safely remove without further damaging the artifacts, Elliot said.
All of the damaged items were located in corridors adjacent to the House Chamber doors that rioters attempted to break down to get to where they believed representatives were hiding.
According to Elliot, the damaged House artifacts include marble and granite busts of former House Speakers Joe Cannon, Champ Clark, Joe Martin and Thomas Brackett Reed; portraits of presidents James Madison and John Quincy Adams; a bust of Chippewa statesman Be-she-kee and a statue of Thomas Jefferson.
Tangent
Elliot’s prepared testimony shows Capitol Hill staffers’ quick-thinking may have prevented even more House artifacts from being damaged. One clerk grabbed the oldest item in the House chamber, a silver inkstand from 1819 that traditionally sits on the Speaker’s rostrum as they evacuated, and a Sergeant at Arms staff saved the House’s ceremonial mace.
Key Background
The riot on Capitol Hill by supporters of President Donald Trump left five dead and hundreds injured. Two law enforcement officers who responded to the insurrection have committed suicide since. The statements slated for Wednesday made no mention of the items stolen from the House during the riots. A photo that went viral on social media showed one rioter smiling and waving as he carried out a lectern belonging to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The lectern was later returned after the man, Adam Johnson, was arrested.
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Further Reading:
Capitol Under Siege: Pictures Of Pro-Trump Protesters On A Rampage (Forbes)
The Aftermath: Images Of A Capitol In Shambles After It Was Ransacked By Trump Supporters (Forbes)
Clyburn’s Ipad, Laptop From Pelosi’s Office: Items Stolen, Destroyed In Capitol Attack (Forbes)
