Support building to remove security fence surrounding US Capitol
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise R-La., joins ‘Fox News @ Night’ to discuss fallout from Capitol riot
A series of substantial changes will be recommended to bolster security at the U.S. Capitol following a review, including adding additional fencing, according to a report.
In addition to the recommendation of “rapidly deployable and removable” walls and fencing around the complex, the draft proposal recommends hiring more than 1,000 additional Capitol Police officers to staff the building and regional offices in members’ districts, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the recommendations.
The price tag for the additional officers would be close to $100 million, the network reported. The fencing could be in the tens of millions.
Long-term, the review may suggest building a wall around the Capitol – although one of the sources cautioned it would likely not be permanent.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been wary of turning the Capitol into something that resembles a “fortress.”
The review comes in the wake of the security failures in the deadly Capitol riot last month that forced lawmakers to evacuate while certifying the election results and left five people dead in the day’s chaos, including a Capitol Police officer.
Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to look into the building’s security following the attack, has been called an “extreme partisan” by Republicans.
Pelosi has praised him as a “respected leader with experience dealing with crises.”
Honoré is best known for his role in the response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CHARGED IN CAPITOL RIOT
Other recommendations in the proposal include better communication resources between officers and forming a full-time, dedicated quick-reaction National Guard military police force, the network reported.
More than 30 Republican House lawmakers have signed a letter to Pelosi calling for the removal of the fencing that was put up after the riot, calling the measures “excessive” and questioning whether taxpayers will “be responsible” for the nearly $500 million expense of keeping a National Guard presence on Capitol Hill.
The Capitol fencing is under the jurisdiction of the Capitol Police Board, which consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms, the architect of the Capitol and the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police.
“We have no intention of keeping the National Guard soldiers or that fencing any longer than what is actually needed,” acting USCP chief Yogananda Pittman said during a hearing about the riot this month. “We’re actively working with a scaled-down approach so that we can make sure that we address three primary variables.”
The Capitol Police did not immediately respond to Fox News’ after-hours request for comment.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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