WASHINGTON — House Democrats briefed on security preparations ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration said Tuesday there is an “increased threat” to the Capitol — and that officials are working to combat it.
A member who was on the call late Monday with U.S. Capitol Police and other security officials described it to NBC News as “chilling and horrific.”
“There isn’t much that I can share, but what I think is important for the public to know is that there is an increased threat. What we experienced Wednesday could potentially be repeated and there are proper steps being taken,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told MSNBC on Tuesday.
“There is more coordination with national security and federal law enforcement to make sure that the Capitol is not breached, that members of Congress and their staff and everyone who is going to be at the Capitol will be safe the next, you know, 10 or so days until the inauguration,” she said.
Rep. Conor Lamb, D-Pa., provided some details to CNN on Tuesday morning, saying, “They’re talking about 4,000 armed patriots to surround the capitol and prevent any Democrat from going in. They have published rules of engagement, meaning when you shoot and when you don’t.”
“So, this is an organized group that has a plan,” he said. “They are committed to doing what they’re doing because I think in their minds, you know, they are patriots and they’re talking about 1776, and so this is now a contest of wills. We are not negotiating with or reasoning with these people. They have to be prosecuted. They have to be stopped. And, unfortunately, that includes the president. Which is why he needs to be impeached and removed from office.”
The briefing comes days after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in protest of the election results, leading to five deaths as well as widespread damage throughout the building. In the days since then, Trump supporters with extremist views have vowed to return to Washington for the upcoming inauguration.
On Monday, the FBI sent a memo to law enforcement agencies across the country warning about possible armed protests at all 50 state capitals starting Saturday and saying an armed group has threatened to travel to Washington, D.C. the same day to stage an uprising if Congress removes Trump from office, according to a senior law enforcement official.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., notified senators that they would receive a briefing Tuesday afternoon on inauguration security, a Senate source told NBC News. Briefers will include representatives from the Secret Service, the Dept. of Defense and Homeland Security. “Very simply: we will do everything in our power to prevent such an attack from ever happening again,” Schumer told his colleagues in a letter.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other members of House leadership received another briefing on Tuesday. Later Tuesday, House Republicans are expected to receive a security briefing similar to the Democrats’ Monday briefing, two sources said.
The officials in the Monday House briefing also provided updates about the newly constructed perimeter around the Capitol and the increasing number of National Guard troops securing it. They also answered questions regarding security for lawmakers traveling from their districts but also their travel within Washington, D.C., to the Capitol, according to a source on the call.
Videos that went viral on social media in the past week showed angry Trump supporters haranguing Sens. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., for not fighting to overturn the election results.
There were also questions about increased threats that members may face as a result of the upcoming impeachment vote on Wednesday. Democratic members were reminded by the House Administration Committee that they can use government money to protect themselves, which is included in the Members’ Congressional Handbook. “The purchase of a bulletproof vest is a reimbursable expense,” the guidance reads.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser had asked that a state of emergency be declared in her city ahead of the inauguration, a request Trump signed off on in an order on Monday night. The move will help the city pay for extra expenses related to the inauguration.
Bowser has also asked the federal government to rescind or deny all permits for public demonstrations through the inauguration. She told ABC News Tuesday morning she had yet to receive a response to her request, which she acknowledged was “extraordinary.”
Bowser also urged residents to stay away from the inauguration.
“I want to continue to ask all of our residents to stay away from the downtown to enjoy the inauguration activities virtually and let our law enforcement keep peace,” she said.
Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., told MSNBC the threats of further violence must be taken seriously.
“After a deadly attack on the Capitol, where these mobs incited by the president viciously attacked the Capitol Police resulting in death and destruction, and an attack on our democracy, we can’t take these reports about the threats for next week as anything less than utterly serious,” Deutch said.
“The threat is real and we have to treat it that way,” he said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
