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National Guard troops were allowed to return to the Capitol to rest after being asked to move, a request that sent some to a parking lot, officials said.
Senators expressed outrage Thursday night after Politico reported that Capitol Hill police had asked troops to move their rest stop and some ended up in the garage.
Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, said that at 10:30 p.m. Capitol Police apologized to Guard staff, who were cleared into the complex Thursday evening.
Army Brigade. General Janeen Birckhead, commander of the Inauguration Task Force, confirmed the troops had exited the parking lot and returned to the Capitol and would take breaks near Emancipation Hall in the future.
Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost her legs when the helicopter she was piloting was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and crashed in 2004, said forcing troops to leave the Capitol was “unreal”.
“I cannot believe that the same brave servicemen we have asked to protect our Capitol and our Constitution for the past two weeks would be unceremoniously ordered to leave the building,” Duckworth said written in a tweet.
Thousands of Guard soldiers remain in Washington after being called in to help secure Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday and after a deadly riot by a pro-Trump mob on Capitol Hill on Jan.6.
The Washington, DC National Guard said earlier Thursday that Capitol Hill police had asked them to relocate its rest area.
“As Congress is in session and foot traffic and business increases, Capitol Police have asked troops to move their rest area. They have been temporarily moved to the garage at the Thurgood Marshall Court Center with heating and toilets “said the DC Guard.
“We remain an agile and flexible force to ensure the safety and security of the Capitol and its surroundings,” he said.
Security details require a rest and a break for troops to escape the inclement weather, the DC Guard said.
Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment after senators said the situation had been resolved and an apology issued.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, has vowed to get to the bottom of the situation.
Some lawmakers had proposed letting the troops stay in their offices.
“Congress is in session, but the buildings are still closed to the public so there is plenty of room for the troops to take a break there,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, of R-Arkansas, who is also a veteran. and served in Iraq and Afghanistan tweeted.
In the days following the riot and leading up to the presidential inauguration, soldiers were seen resting between teams on the marble floors of the Capitol.
National Guard troops from across the country have been dispatched to Washington to provide support. Almost 26,000 were sent.
About 10,600 were on duty Thursday afternoon and arrangements were underway to send 15,000 home as soon as possible, the National Guard Office said.
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