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Prior to Thursday morning, several areas of the Capitol complex were designated as authorized rest areas where members of the Guard could take breaks during their shift to protect Capitol. By Thursday morning, all of those areas had been cleared and their designations removed, guards said.
“Honestly, we feel betrayed,” a guard told CNN, noting that the day before, members of Congress had come to take pictures with the various National Guard units that came to Washington to support security around the area. ‘inauguration. “After everything went smoothly, we were deemed unnecessary and banished to a corner of a parking lot.”
“Our advice is that if you don’t eat or drink you should wear a mask. We’ve already had a few in my unit that have tested positive for Covid, and they just keep us wrapped together with warning tape. small areas, ”said the guard. “And that’s the only authorized rest area.”
About 25,000 National Guard troops have been called up from the 50 states and the District of Columbia due to heightened security concerns around President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Many have used the cafe in the Dirksen Senate Office building, just northwest of the Capitol, as a rest area to relax, charge phones, and access the wireless internet. But on Thursday afternoon, guards who spoke to CNN said they could no longer use the cafeteria and could only rest in the parking lot of the nearby Thurgood Marshall Court Center.
The National Guard Office said the troop relocation was temporary because Congress is in session.
“The National Guard continues to assist and support the United States Capitol Police. As Congress is in session and foot traffic and business escalates, Capitol Police have asked the soldiers to relocate their rest area. They were temporarily transferred to the Thurgood Marshall Judicial Center. garage with heating and toilets. We remain an agile and flexible force to ensure the safety and security of the Capitol and surrounding areas, ”the National Guard Office said in a statement.
A request for comment from Capitol Police was not returned.
After Politico reported the story, members of Congress tweeted their concern over the situation with Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, writing: “Very upset by this story, but I have been in touch with the Utah National Guard and they are taken care of. . My staff and I are investigating what happened here and we will continue to work to resolve this situation. ”
Arizona Democrat Senator Krysten Sinema tweeted: “This is outrageous, shameful and incredibly disrespectful to the men and women who keep the U.S. Capitol safe. We need to fix it and we need answers on the way it happened. “
A week earlier, photos of National Guard soldiers resting in the Capitol Rotunda also sparked an uproar. A Guard spokesman said the troops were not sleeping on duty but resting between teams.
“To be clear, this is not where they stay when they are not on duty. Being present is the first step in keeping our citizens and our nation’s Capitol safe. Our security staff work in shifts. and rest when he can while others watch, ”said a spokesperson for the Guard.
Most of the 25,000 National Guardsmen who were brought to Washington to help secure the city through the inauguration will be sent home within five to 10 days, the bureau said Thursday. About 15,000 troops will return home “as soon as possible”, although the planning and process to start moving them may take a few days.
Some agencies are asking for continued support, the National Guard Bureau said, and around 7,000 guards are expected to stay until the end of the month.
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