1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I write to you today not with confusion, but with outrage. Ashli Babbitt—a woman who took an oath to defend the Constitution—betrayed that oath when she joined a violent mob attempting to overturn a lawful election. She was shot while trying to breach a barricaded entry to the House chamber, where Members of Congress were being evacuated from a deadly insurrection. Her death was tragic, yes—but it was the direct result of her own decision to attack the very institution she once swore to protect. And now, the United States government is preparing to pay her family **$5 million** in a wrongful death settlement. Let that sink in. Five million dollars—for someone who actively participated in an assault on democracy. Meanwhile, the **plaque approved by Congress to honor the officers who defended the Capitol**—those who held the line, who were beaten, bloodied, and traumatized—**still has not been hung**. This is not just a contradiction. It is a disgrace. What message does this send to the American people? That loyalty to a political cult is more valuable than loyalty to the Constitution? That storming the Capitol earns you a payout, while defending it earns you delay and neglect? Ashli Babbitt’s funeral with full military honors was already a slap in the face to every service member who has upheld their oath with integrity. But this settlement compounds the insult. It rewards betrayal. It undermines justice. And it desecrates the sacrifices of those who stood between democracy and destruction on January 6. I urge you to act. Demand accountability. Ensure that the plaque honoring Capitol defenders is installed without further delay. And reconsider the precedent being set by rewarding insurrection with compensation. History is watching. And so are