More than two months after the January 6 uprising, National Guard troops continue to patrol the Capitol grounds, surrounded by barbed wire fences. US Capitol Police say a high level of threat remains a problem, although McConnell disagrees.
“I just checked this morning. There are no serious threats against Capitol. I think we are exaggerating the current need,” said McConnell.
“I am extremely uncomfortable with the fact that my constituents cannot come to the Capitol. With all this barbed wire around the complex, it reminds me of my last visit to Kabul. This is the capital of the United States of America. Do we need any changes? Probably yes. But I think that we continue to overreact based on the current threat levels, to what is needed here on Capitol Hill. It seems terrible to have the lighthouse of our democracy surrounded by barbed wire and National Guard troops, “added McConnell.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the request by the United States Capitol Police to keep some 2,300 National Guard soldiers on Capitol grounds until May 23. Currently, there are about 5,100 members of the Guard on duty in the Capitol area.