House legislators on Monday will be informed of a new security review that recommends widespread changes to the U.S. Capitol after the January 6 uprising. The final report foresees the hiring of more than 1,000 Capitol police, a dedicated rapid reaction force and the installation of retractable fences around the complex, according to an outline obtained by CBS News.
The study was led by former Hurricane Katrina commander and retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore, as well as a task force composed of other former military officers.
The 15-page document seeks to streamline the chain of command after significant delays in the deployment of the National Guard during the riot.
He proposes to give authority to the United States Capitol Police to request support from the National Guard and the application of foreign law without pre-approval by the Capitol Police Council in “extraordinary emergency circumstances”.
The council, which oversees the department, consists of the House and Senate arms sergeants, the Capitol Architect and the Capitol Police chief. Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told lawmakers at a Senate hearing last month that he requested the National Guard two days before the riot but his request was denied by the sergeant-at-arms. Capitol architect Brett Blanton testified in a separate hearing that he was never contacted about the request.
Another recommendation requires that the Department of Defense guidelines be changed to allow the head of the DC National Guard to retain emergency authority to suppress large-scale civil unrest. Commanding General William Walker told a joint Senate panel last week that he had guards sitting on buses while waiting for the Pentagon to be released to send them to the Capitol on January 6.
“At that point, seconds mattered, minutes mattered, and I needed to be ready to get them there as soon as possible,” said Walker.
The report also cites problems with internal communication between Capitol Police rank-and-file soldiers who were on the ground during the attack.
“Without headsets, many policemen were also unable to hear or understand radio communications due to the oppressive noise of the crowd,” the report said. “Every police officer must be equipped with headphones as part of his uniform and instructed to wear them. This should not be optional.”
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The task force recommends that police officers use body cameras and suggests expanding the K9 division and restoring the horse-mounted police unit.
The group also proposes greater security for members of Congress when they travel to their home districts.
Asked by CBS News whether she supports the findings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged that additional funding will be needed.
“We will be presenting to the whole body and at some point we will have decisions made about what is feasible,” she said. “It will take more money to protect Capitol in a way that allows people to come here.”
Pelosi commissioned Honore’s review, which focuses mainly on security on the side of the Capitol Chamber. House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and other House Republicans criticized the retired general’s choice to lead the investigation, citing his earlier statements suggesting that Capitol police were complicit in the insurrection.
“While there may be some valuable recommendations to come, General Honore’s notorious party tendency questions the rationality of appointing him to lead this important security review,” McCarthy said in a statement.
Honoré and other members of the January 6 task force will present members of both parties with three separate sessions on Monday.