Thousands of National Guard troops stationed on a rotating basis at the U.S. Capitol since Jan. 6 will head home this weekend as officials weigh whether to create a permanent military unit charged with protecting lawmakers and the building in the future.
The move to demilitarize the Capitol drew cheers from downtown officials and businesses looking forward to the return of tourists as memories of post-election riots fade and the risks of COVID-19 recede.
“It’s well past time for the troops to leave,” D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton told The Washington Times on Monday. “We’ve long had word that there were no credible threats.”
The nearly 2,200 Guardsmen who currently are activated as part of the “Capitol Mission” are set to leave Sunday, according to a National Guard spokeswoman.
“Once the mission concludes, the D.C. National Guard will return to normal operations and the out-of-state guard members will return to their home station,” Army Capt. Chelsi B. Johnson said Monday in an email.
The riot at the Capitol by pro-Trump supporters in January exposed major security flaws that House leaders are hoping to address with a $1.9 billion bill introduced last week.
Moreover, officials suggest $200 million should be put toward establishing a “Quick Reaction Force” of Guardsmen to assist U.S. Capitol Police in future emergencies.
House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro said the proposal “addresses the insurrection with $1.9 billion in funding to respond to the tragic events of that day.
“It is long overdue recognition of the work of the Capitol Police, the sacrifices that they and their families have made, and the changes they need,” Ms. DeLauro, Connecticut Democrat, said in the bill summary.
The ideas stem from a congressional task force report released last month that also suggests reestablishing a military police battalion as an alternative to the quick reaction force.
“Another option would be to create a [force] that permanently resides within the D.C. Guard by reestablishing a military police battalion and staffing it with active Guard reserve troops who live in or near the city year-round, perpetually on active duty,” the 15-page Capitol Security Review report states.
The report does not detail how a permanent National Guard unit would work. Guardsmen currently have full-time jobs outside their military duties which require them to serve one weekend per month. Members, however, can be deployed on an as-needed basis.
The permanent force could resemble the Joint Task Force Empire Shield established in New York City following the 9/11 attacks. The task force was established using $3 billion in federal funds to employ nearly 500 state Guardsmen who work full-time in conjunction with local law enforcement.
The House bill also includes $250 million to replace the nonscalable fencing erected around parts of the Capitol grounds after the riot with “retractable or ‘pop-in’ fencing.”
Officials say the current nonscalable fencing will stay up until other security measures are put in place.
Mrs. Norton, who introduced a bill this year to prohibit permanent fencing, said “retractable fencing is the appropriate measure to protect the Capitol complex.
“The fencing risked sending the message to the world that the strongest nation couldn’t protect its own Capitol,” Mrs. Norton, a Democrat, said in an email. “The Capitol is surrounded by an open park-like space that must be inviting to the public, not fenced in.”
Meanwhile, the Capitol Police, which includes more than 2,300 officers, applauded the legislation in a statement last week.
“The Department is grateful for the support and the focus on providing enhanced capabilities and resources for our workforce,” the agency said. “This support will directly help the Department move forward to meet our evolving mission.”