Pentagon extends National Guard presence on Capitol Hill until May 23

Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinLloyd Austin Biden Pledges to End ‘Scourge of Sexual Assault in the Military’ Hill’s 12:30 p.m. Report – Presented by Johns Hopkins University – CDC Announces Long-awaited Guidelines for Fully Immunized Americans Lloyd Will Austin stand up to the generals? AFTER approved the retention of nearly 2,300 National Guardsmen on the United States Capitol until May 23, the Pentagon announced Tuesday evening.

The move extends the Guard’s deployment for more than two months, when it was supposed to end this week. The number of approved soldiers is about half of the 5,100 currently stationed on Capitol Hill.

“This decision was taken after careful consideration of the request and after careful consideration of its potential impact on readiness,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.

During the expansion, Pentagon officials “will work with the United States Capitol Police to gradually reduce the National Guard footprint if conditions permit,” Kirby added.

“We thank the National Guard for their support throughout this mission, as well as for their significant efforts across the country in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

National Guardsmen from across the country have traveled to Washington, DC to beef up security on Capitol Hill in the wake of the January 6 riot by supporters of the former President TrumpDonald Trump Trump promises ‘More money for RINOS’, instead encouraging donations to his PAC Federal judge judges ‘QAnon shaman’ too dangerous to be released from prison Pelosi says the Capitol riot was the one of the most difficult moments of his career PLUS, reaching a height of 26,000 soldiers.

The guards were originally intended to strengthen security for President BidenJoe BidenCNN: Bidens Dogs Removed From White House Federal Judge Deems ‘Shaman QAnon’ Too Dangerous To Be Released From Prison Pelosi Says The Capitol Riot Was One Of The Most Difficult Times of her career.inauguration, but subsequently the deployment was extended until March 12 due to ongoing security concerns.

The security concerns were in part linked to the mistaken belief in the QAnon conspiracy theory that Trump would be re-inaugurated on March 4, the initial date of the presidential nominations until 1933, when the 20th Amendment moved him to the January 20.

March 4 came and went without incident. But the same day, Capitol Police asked the Pentagon to extend the National Guard’s deployment for another two months.

A brief statement from Capitol Police last week confirming that they had requested an extension of the Guard’s deployment did not clarify what specific threats warranted a continued U.S. military presence on Capitol Hill.

Kirby also objected on Tuesday afternoon when asked about the threat assessment.

“The Guard’s presence on the Hill, while it is certainly there to meet a requirement based on law enforcement concerns, is also there to help strengthen and support the Capitol Police and its capabilities. , which may not be where it should be. given that we’re sort of in a new environment in this country, ”Kirby said at a Pentagon briefing. “So it’s not just a threat assessment. It’s about helping and sustaining capabilities that the Capitol Police may now lack and perhaps should seek to improve on their own. “

As the extension announced on Tuesday ends in May, questions are starting to arise as to whether the National Guard will have a more lasting presence on Capitol Hill after a recommended security review of the sweeping changes.

One of the review’s recommendations, written by a team led by retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, was to establish a permanent rapid reaction force to respond to emergencies in Washington, DC, which could consist of members of the National Guard.

Asked Tuesday whether the National Guard’s mission would become sustainable, Kirby told reporters: “I don’t think anyone can answer that question at this time.

Lawmakers, however, are increasingly questioning whether custody is still necessary on Capitol Hill, saying Capitol Police must inform them of the threats that are behind the expansion.

Calls by lawmakers to send troops home are concerns about the conditions guards stationed on Capitol Hill faced.

In January, lawmakers were outraged after some guards were forced to rest in a parking lot instead of inside the Capitol complex. They were quickly brought back inside after photos of them cramped in the garage circulated online.

More recently, lawmakers on both sides expressed concern after members of the Michigan National Guard were served food supplied by a contractor that was “undercooked, raw, moldy and even filled with metal shavings.” , as Michigan lawmakers wrote in a letter to the National Guard bureau chief last week.

Kirby said Monday that the contractor would not be changed after the food vendors’ facilities were inspected repeatedly “without any major issues being recorded.”