Members of the National Guard on duty near the Capitol in Washington, D.C., Feb. 9
Thousands of National Guard members remained on duty in the nation’s capital after last month’s smooth presidential inauguration. Republican lawmakers say the reason for the large number of Guard members remaining remains unclear, and they can’t get anyone in charge of security at the Capitol, including Speaker Pelosi, to explain it.
Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Florida, told Fox News Monday (Feb. 8), “We still have National Guard troops (in Washington), away from their families, away from their jobs, as replacements for police officers, but we can’t briefly describe what kind of terrible threat requires so many people to stay. We still don’t have the answers.”
“Why do we have more troops in the Capitol than we do in Iraq and Afghanistan combined?” , he asked.
The deployment of the entire Washington National Guard has been extended until March 31 after the inauguration, in case there will be “civil unrest” in the capital.
A National Guard spokesman said 5,000 National Guard troops will remain on duty through at least the end of March to “continue to support regional and federal civilian authorities during anticipated First Amendment demonstrations” and to prevent “civil unrest in D.C.”
In late January, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the U.S. Capitol and the government are prepared to further enhance security in Washington, D.C., to prevent “upcoming potentially volatile events.
Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman previously tweeted that he proposed a permanent fence at the Capitol. That idea was denied by D.C. Mayor Bowser, who said, “Fencing and troops will be part of the security effort. However, we will not be asking for additional troop reinforcements or permanent fencing as a long term practice in the area.”
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