Among them: a permanent fence around the Capitol, hundreds of new security guards – whether the National Guard or the presence of the military police – and new authorities for the District of Columbia National Guard to be dispatched in emergency situations, one of the sources said. . The plan under consideration would also expand the United States Capitol police force, potentially hiring hundreds of other officers, and make changes to the USCP board.
Congressional action on the package will not take place until next month, at the very least.
Many of the recommendations stem from a task force report led by retired Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, who was appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to examine security breaches on January 6 and propose changes.
Honoré’s report included many of the proposals that the House is now considering, including placing retractable and mobile fences on the Capitol, providing additional authorities for the DC Guard and restructuring the Capitol Police council and improving the intelligence collection of the Capitol Police . House fund president Rosa DeLauro later said that Honoré’s report was released that she expected a “substantial” funding package to strengthen security on Capitol Hill.
But while negotiations are underway, it remains to be seen whether Republicans will be irritated by a new financing package. The price they are discussing was previously reported by Punchbowl News.
House minority leader Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans criticized Honoré, who was nominated without Republican consultation, for comments he made before he was nominated on the January 6 attack.
“I don’t think Honoré should be in charge of that, based on his comments, not too long ago, but not long ago,” McCarthy said on Thursday. “He had a preconceived notion that he was wrong, so I disregard the report entirely because of that.”
Some Republicans – including Rep. Rodney Davis, the top Republican on the House Management Committee – have said they agree with some of Honoré’s recommendations, suggesting that there may be a way forward for a bipartisan funding bill to improve security in the Capitol.
Lawmakers from both parties have raised objections this month to a prolongation of the position of National Guard troops on the Capitol and the prospect of the barbed wire fence surrounding the complex remaining open indefinitely. The acting House Sergeant of Arms said this week that a reduction in Guard troops would begin and some of the fences would be broken down.
The financing package may be the first of several steps that Congress can take legislatively in response to the January 6 riot. Lawmakers can look to changes in the structure of the Capitol Police council, and Pelosi reiterated his desire this week to create an independent 9/11-style commission to investigate the 6 January events.
But the creation of a new commission still faces serious obstacles, as the two parties are at odds over the scope of what the commission would investigate. Democratic sources told CNN this week that a deal for a January 6 commission could still take months.
This story has been updated with additional details.