Senate arms sergeant Michael Stengler resigned at the request of Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. And amid widespread concern that the Capitol did not have enough security to defend against the type of riots that occurred on Wednesday.
“Today I applied for and received the resignation of Michael Stenger, the weapons sergeant and Senate porter, with immediate effect,” said a statement from McConnell.
“Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Jennifer Hemingway will now serve the Senate as acting Sergeant in Arms, according to the statute,” he continued. “I thank Jennifer in advance for her service when we started examining the serious failures that occurred yesterday and we continue and strengthen our preparations for a safe and successful opening on January 20th.”
Protesters entering the Capitol forced lawmakers to take shelter there or to abandon the premises entirely. Images of the incident showed broken windows and tense clashes with Capitol police. A woman also died after being shot by the police. Another three died from “medical emergencies”, police said.
MCCONNELL RIPS “SHOCK FAILURES” IN CAPITOL SAFETY, SCHUMER VOTES THE FIREMAN SERGEANT IN ARMS
According to Politico, Stenger’s resignation is just one of several police forces following Wednesday’s chaos. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund is resigning from Jan. 16 and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Said weapons sergeant Paul Irving will also resign.
Although the details are unclear, online images of protesters bypassing police on Capitol grounds emerged as they approached the building itself, which houses the two chambers of Congress. More than a dozen people were arrested in connection with the incident, which many described as an “insurrection”.
Both McConnell and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., criticized the response, with Schumer promising to fire the arms sergeant if he had not gone before Schumer became the majority leader.
“If Senate Arms Sergeant Stenger has not vacated his post by then, I will fire him as soon as the Democrats have a majority in the Senate,” he said.
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McConnell said that on Wednesday “it represented a massive failure of institutions, protocols and planning that were supposed to protect the first branch of our federal government.”
“A thorough investigation and thorough review must now take place, and significant changes must take place,” he added. “Initial bipartisan discussions have already started between Congressional oversight and leadership committees.”