After spending days in the cold securing the United States Capitol after the deadly siege two weeks ago, members of the National Guard were asked to leave the Capitol building and move to a nearby parking lot to rest during their shifts. The decision drew swift condemnation of lawmakers, including Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, who called the action “outrageous”.
Several pressed to reverse.
And it was on Thursday night, according to one of the lawmakers, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D – Illinois), who tweeted: “Update: the troops are now all out of the garage. Now I can go to bed.”
The Guard issued a statement saying: “Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, Commander of the Inauguration Task Force, confirms that troops left the garage and returned to the Capitol building as authorized by USCP (US Capitol Police), Commander Watchtower and troops will take their breaks near the Emancipation Hall going forward. ”
At about 3pm on Thursday, the Capitol Police asked the National Guard to relocate soldiers who were using the Capitol corridors and open space to rest during their shifts, said National Guard Office spokesman Major Matt Murphy, CBS News.
“While Congress is in session and pedestrian traffic is increasing and business is being conducted, Capitol Police have asked troops to move their rest area,” said Murphy. “They were temporarily relocated to the garage at the Thurgood Marshall Judicial Center with heating and bathroom.”
About 3,500 national guards were removed from the Capitol, but not all were in the garage at the same time. During guard shifts, members are taken to the garage to warm up and take a break, and guards return to the hotel when the shift ends.
Some guards expressed displeasure at being moved to a parking lot. Although the garage has heating and lights, there are limited bathrooms, cell phone and internet service and electrical outlets.
The Politician reported the move for the first time, and lawmakers attacked. “This is outrageous, shameful and incredibly disrespectful to the men and women who keep the United States Capitol safe and secure,” said Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D – Arizona). “We need to fix it and we need answers about how it happened.”
“Unreal. I cannot believe that the same brave members of the service that we have been asking to protect our Capitol and our Constitution for the past two weeks are unceremoniously ordered to vacate the building,” he said. Senator Tammy Duckworth. “I’m demanding answers as soon as possible. They can use my office.”
Murphy told CBS News that “they had to go somewhere, in my understanding. There will always be some goosebumps, some people will not like it. The troops continue. They still do their mission duties and that is what they are doing.”
Both Duckworth and Sinema tweeted after they were told that the guards would be removed from the parking lot, but the decision had not been officially announced.
Capitol Police said in a statement late on Thursday that the department “greatly appreciates the full support of the U.S. National Guard in helping to protect the Capitol Complex before and including the inaugural ceremony.” The department said it recently requested that guards’ shifts be shortened to allow more off-campus rest.