“Maintained garage” can be great for classic cars – but for members of the National Guard it can be disrespectful.
Reports of mediocre treatment of National Guard troops at the United States Capitol generated bipartisan outrage among lawmakers and other officials on Thursday – with Texas Governor Greg Abbott calling for the return of Guard members from his state.
Thousands of National Guard soldiers from various states were sent to the U.S. Capitol to protect President Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday from threats of violence after the January 6 riot.
Photos of Guard members sleeping on the marble floor of the Capitol quickly went viral – until later they were given a crib. Then, on Thursday, another insult came: according to reports, members of the Guard were abruptly instructed to take their break inside a parking lot instead of inside the Capitol.
The guards, who were resting inside the Capitol between 12-hour shifts, were transferred to a nearby parking lot, where photos taken by the Politico and other agencies showed members huddled on the floor – some resting their heads against cement pillars.
On Thursday night, Abbott was among those who had apparently seen enough.
“I instructed General Norris to order the Texas National Guard to return to our state,” wrote the Republican governor on Twitter, referring to Major General Tracy Norris of the Texas National Guard.
Abbott previously objected to reports that members of the Guard were being “examined” because of concerns about a possible “internal” attack during Biden’s inauguration.
More outrage came on Thursday from other lawmakers and officials, both Republicans and Democrats.
Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., tweeted about the parking reports: “If that’s true, it’s outrageous. I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
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American MP Elise Stefanik, RN.Y., tweeted: “This is an absolutely unacceptable and despicable treatment given to our courageous and dedicated National Guard who responded to the call to serve. We need to demand answers now and this needs to be fixed immediately.”
Senator Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Called the treatment of members of the Guard “outrageous, shameful and incredibly disrespectful”.
“We need to fix it and we need answers about how it happened,” she tweeted.
Sinema was one of several lawmakers offering the Guards to use her office and at around 10:30 pm Eastern time, she tweeted that all members were “welcome back to Capitol tonight. No more parking lots.”
CBS reporter Kris Van Cleave reported on Friday that the National Guard said troops were out of the garage and would take their breaks at the Capitol Visitor Center’s Emancipation Hall from now on. It included a video of the troops leaving the garage.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Confirmed that she had made several calls and was informed that “The Capitol police apologized to the guards and they will be allowed to return to the compound tonight. I will continue to check to make sure you are. “
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who also offered her office, confirmed that guards were being allowed to return to the Capitol and said a snack offer “is still standing”.
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A guard told Politico that on the opening day dozens of lawmakers had taken pictures with them, shook hands and thanked them for their services. He added: “In 24 hours, they had no use for us anymore and banished us to the corner of a parking lot. We felt incredibly betrayed.”
The Politician reported that the unit that was using the space in the Dirksen Senate Office building was requested to move into the garage by the Capitol Police.
“After significant protests, it seems that there is a movement now to get the members of the Guard back to the Capitol, to the visitor center,” tweeted Politico reporter Natasha Bertrand.
Politician reporter Lara Seligman said a Guard source told her that “all units in the Thurgood Marshall parking lot should be transferred to CVC immediately.”
The US Capitol Police released a statement on the report saying, “The United States Capitol Police are immensely grateful for the full support of the US National Guard in helping to protect the Capitol Complex that preceded and included the inauguration ceremony. Department is grateful for the service provided and for our strong partnership during this period. “
He continued, “The National Guard’s assistance department request included a specific number of personnel to allow the National Guard to provide at least 12 hours off-campus rest for the troops, and understood that this would be done throughout the its deployment. The Department recently requested that troop schedules be changed to work no more than 8-hour shifts to allow more off-campus rest after taking office. “
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Guards have been using the garage only for breaks between their long shifts and recently had hotel rooms to sleep at night, Van Cleave tweeted.
A National Guard spokesman told Politico: “While Congress is in session and the increase in pedestrian and business traffic is being conducted, the Capitol Police have asked troops to change their resting area. They have been temporarily relocated to the garage at the Thurgood Marshall Judicial Center with heating and sanitary facilities. We remain an agile and flexible force to ensure the safety and protection of the Capitol and its surroundings. The Guard is reviewing the request so that the logistics and schedules can be adjusted. “
The National Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.