“We did this four years ago and even four years earlier. But this is the first time that we are putting in place a plan in which there has been an active attack on the institutions of our democracy, “Dotson told his officials.” This is as serious a threat as I have seen, potentially, in my career. “
Dotson said Amtrak’s Union Station in Washington, DC, was relatively calm during the January 6 riots and, in fact, people looking to escape the riots ended up taking shelter there. The cavernous train station and shopping area are just a few blocks from the Capitol complex.
“When the activities on Capitol became violent, people who … wanted nothing to do with it sought refuge,” said Dotson. “So they came to our station.” Still, he said his officers had to contend with some rally participants who did not like Amtrak’s mask requirement.
How to protect members of Congress while at airports is a particular concern, after several viral videos last week showed lawmakers trying to take flights surrounded by aggressive crowds. Senator Lindsey Graham (RS.C.), one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal allies on Capitol Hill, was not loyal enough to the crowds of Trump supporters who surrounded him at Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, shouting “traitor” .
In the hope of avoiding this next week, airports, airlines and security agencies have begun intense collaborations, including control over which flights will carry lawmakers. Plans are also being made to ensure that lawmakers have safe places to wait, such as airline waiting rooms and potentially escorts in public areas, according to an airport representative familiar with the discussions. In some cases, federal delegates can accompany your flights.
Meanwhile, the FAA has warned that it will throw the book at undisciplined passengers after several incidents of people disrupting flights to and from Washington.
“In the past few days, we have seen a worrying increase in onboard incidents in which airline passengers have stopped flights,” FAA administrator Steve Dickson told CNBC on Thursday. “These incidents resulted, in some cases, from a refusal to follow airlines’ policies on facial coverage, and we also saw a trend following the violation of the Capitol last week.”
The FAA has the authority to fine passengers up to $ 35,000 and ask for a prison sentence if their behavior threatens other passengers or the aircraft. The agency said it would be resorting to these tougher penalties instead of warnings and other slaps on the wrist that it has chased in some previous cases. The FAA said the new policy will be in effect until March 30.
Increased calls for Capitol rioters to be added to the federal air exclusion list, including the new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, and members of the House’s Internal Security Committee.
The FBI did not reveal whether anyone who participated in the January 6 riots was added to the list, but said in a statement to POLITICO that “it will continue to nominate subjects nominated for the federal terrorist watch list, as appropriate, in accordance with existing laws and policies. . “
The agency also noted that local law enforcement agencies and authorities could detain or arrest any individual considered an immediate threat to other airline passengers or the aircraft, “which would effectively prevent them from flying”. And airlines, which maintain their own lists of people who are no longer welcome on their planes, can deny service to people if they cause interruptions.
In a statement, TSA administrator David Pekoske said his agency is working to ensure that anyone who can pose a threat is subjected to “enhanced screening” or is prevented from boarding an airplane. In addition, he said that extra security had been put in place at the three airports in the area, including canine teams and increasing the number of air agents on flights. TSA agents will also support other security forces deployed throughout the city, including assistance in screening people along the parade route and at the opening itself.
The Washington, DC transit system is also getting ready. Last week, Metrorail station managers and janitors were advised by their union – Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 – to lock themselves in the back to protect themselves.
“Many of the people who came by refused to wear masks,” said ATU Local 689 vice president and director of security, Carroll Thomas. “They had guns. They had all kinds of things. Our members feared for their lives ”.
Metro announced it would close 13 stations within the security perimeter around the White House and the Capitol, from Friday to Thursday after the inauguration.
In addition, Amtrak and its employee unions have petitioned the federal government to expand TSA’s air exclusion list for rail passenger transport.
The groups said they want a “proportional presence of workers in the passenger compartments of Amtrak’s trains similar to that of the airline industry, with at least one driver or assistant driver present for every 50 passengers,” according to a statement released this week.
While most concerns so far have been centered around the opening and the days immediately surrounding it, the increased surveillance and security implemented for this event may not end quickly.
“I’m very concerned about next week as the opening week, but I don’t think the next week, suddenly, people will be like, ‘Let’s all go ahead’ and great,” said the airport official. “I think we are going through a period of increased tensions in our country, and that will affect airports, as well as almost every other part of society.”