Minister of Defence Lloyd Austin
Lloyd AustinBiden pledges to end “plague of sexual assault in the military.” The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Johns Hopkins University – CDC Announces Long-Awaited Guidelines for Fully Vaccinated Americans Will Lloyd Austin Take on the Generals? LAKE has agreed to hold nearly 2,300 National Guard in the Capitol until May 23, the Pentagon said Tuesday night.
The move extends the Guard’s commitment more than two months ago, when it should have ended this week. The number of troops approved is about half of the 5,100 currently stationed in the Capitol.
“This decision was made after an in-depth review of the request and after careful consideration of its potential impact on readiness,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
During the extension, Pentagon officials will “work with the US Capitol Police to gradually reduce the National Guard’s footprint as conditions permit,” Kirby added.
“We thank the National Guard for its support during this mission, as well as for its significant efforts across the country to combat the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
National Guardsmen from around the country poured into Washington DC to bolster the security of the Capitol after the January 6 riot by supporters of former President Trump
Donald Trump Trump promises ‘No more money for RINOS’ but instead encourages donations to his PAC. Federal judge rules ‘QAnon shaman’ too dangerous to be released from prison Pelosi says Capitol riot was one of the most difficult moments of her career MORE, with an altitude of 26,000 troops.
The Guardsmen were originally intended to boost security President Biden
Joe Biden CNN: Bidens’ Dogs Removed From White House Federal judge rules’ QAnon shaman ‘is too dangerous to be released from prison Pelosi says Capitol riot was one of the most difficult moments of her career MOREinauguration, but afterwards the deployment was extended to March 12 due to ongoing security concerns.
Security concerns were partly related to the QAnon conspiracy theory’s erroneous belief that Trump would be inaugurated again on March 4, the original date of presidential inaugurations to 1933, when the 20th Amendment moved it to January 20.
March 4 came and went without incident. But that same day, Capitol police asked the Pentagon to extend the deployment of the National Guard for another two months.
A brief statement from the Capitol Police last week confirming that it had requested an increase in the deployment of the Guard did not indicate the specific threats justifying a continued US military presence in the Capitol.
Kirby protested the same way on Tuesday afternoon when asked about the threat assessment.
The presence of the guard on the hill, while there is certainly to address a requirement based on law enforcement concerns, is also there to strengthen and support the Capitol Police and their capabilities, which may well be not being up to the level where it should be. considering that in this country we are in a kind of new environment, “Kirby said during a Pentagon briefing.” So it’s not just a threat assessment. about support and support capabilities that Capitol Police may not have right now and may need to improve themselves.
As the extension announced Tuesday expires in May, questions are starting to arise as to whether the National Guard will have a more sustainable presence in the Capitol after a security review recommended sweeping changes.
One of the recommendations in the review, prepared by a team led by retired Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, was to establish a permanent rapid response force to respond to emergencies in Washington, DC, which could exist from members of the National Guard.
When asked on Tuesday whether the National Guard mission will be an enduring mission, Kirby told reporters that “I don’t think anyone can answer that question right now.”
However, lawmakers are increasingly questioning whether the watch is still needed at the Capitol, saying Capitol police should inform them of the threats driving the extension.
The lawmakers’ call to send troops home stems from concerns about the conditions faced by the guards stationed in the Capitol.
In January, lawmakers were outraged after some Guardsmen were forced to rest in a parking garage instead of the Capitol complex. They were quickly moved back inside after photos of them cramped in the garage circulated online.
More recently, lawmakers in both parties have voiced concerns after members of the Michigan National Guard were given food from a contractor that was “ undercooked, raw, moldy, and even filled with metal shavings, ” as Michigan lawmakers wrote in a letter to it. head of the National Guard last week.
Kirby said Monday that the contractor would not be changed after the food vendor’s facilities were inspected multiple times “without any substantial issues being registered.”