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, Thursday night.
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. ”
One of the lawmakers who expressed outrage, Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, tweeted, “Update: the troops are now all out of the garage. Now I can go to bed.”
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 members of the National Guard were removed from the Capitol, but not all were in the garage at the same time. During their guard shifts, members are taken to the garage to warm up and take a break, and they have hotel rooms to sleep in when their shifts are over.
Some guards expressed displeasure at having their rest area transferred to a parking lot. Although the garage has heating and lights, there are only a few bathrooms and a limited number of cell phones, internet services and electrical outlets.
US Capitol Police confirmed on Friday that they would investigate the matter.
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 Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an Arizona Democrat. “We need to fix it and we need answers about how it happened.”
South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott also accessed Twitter:
Duckworth called it “unreal”, adding that she could not “believe that the same brave members of the service we have asked to protect our Capitol and our Constitution for the past two weeks are unceremoniously ordered to vacate the building. possible. They can use my office. ”
Murphy told CBS News, “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.”
Capitol Police said in a statement Thursday night that the department “greatly appreciates the full support of the United States National Guard in helping to protect the Capitol Complex that preceded, and including the inaugural ceremony.”
The department said it recently requested that guards’ shifts be shortened to allow more off-campus rest.