President Biden signed legislation awarding Congressional Gold Medals to the law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Why it matters: The Congressional Gold Medal is Congress' "highest expression of national appreciation," notes the New York Times.

The big picture: "To all of them, on behalf of a grateful nation: thank you, thank you, thank you for protecting our Capitol — and maybe even more importantly, for protecting our Constitution," Biden said ahead of the signing.

• "The tragedy of that day deserves the truth above all else. We cannot allow history to be rewritten. We cannot allow the heroism of these officers to be forgotten," Biden said.

The state of play: Last month, law enforcement officers gave emotional testimony of their experiences defending the Capitol before the Jan. 6 select committee investigating the riot.

• Four officers who responded to the events of Jan. 6 have died by suicide.