The new wave of concern on the hill over possible protests this week coincides with plans to reopen the Capitol on Wednesday to limited groups of visitors. It marks the first time that outside visitors have been allowed to enter the House side of the Capitol for “ official business ” since the coronavirus imposed significant restrictions. Additional visitors will be allowed into the rest of the House buildings this Wednesday, the day of Biden’s speech.
The House sergeant-at-arms is expected to formally announce the new visitation protocol in a letter to Congressional offices Tuesday.
The task of securing the Capitol was also raised Monday night at a rally of House Democratic leaders where lawmakers discussed possible protests this week, according to sources familiar with the talks.
Some draconian security measures implemented after January 6 are starting to dwindle around the Capitol complex. The outer fence was only removed a few weeks ago, out of dual concern that the heavy fortifications had devastated traffic in Washington, DC, creating a fortress-like atmosphere in what has traditionally been an open campus. The National Guard has also scaled back its presence in the Capitol complex in recent weeks, although some troops are still there.
But just days after the outer fence fell, an attacker rammed a vehicle into a Capitol Police checkpoint, killing an officer, William Evans, and injuring another. That deadly incident, as well as the ongoing assessments of the Capitol’s security in the wake of the uprising, added a touch of uncertainty to the security plans for lawmakers, staff and visitors.