Security officials and congressional leaders seemed to be blindsided by the riot of Jan. 6, when a violent mob of Trump followers overwhelmed police officers and attacked the Capitol in a failed effort to overturn President Biden’s election victory.
Eight months later, the Capitol’s top security officers are long gone. Though their replacements are scrambling to guarantee that the tragic events of Jan. 6 don’t recur on their watch.
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Capitol Police have installed temporary high-tech security cameras to provide them a larger view of the Capitol complex. A Capitol security board on Monday approved a plan to reinstall a seven-foot fence around the main Capitol building, which had stood for months after January’s violent attack.
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The board further announced it has issued an emergency declaration, which will allow Capitol Police to deputize outside law enforcement as “special” Capitol Police officers on Saturday.
And unlike the lead up to Jan. 6, when several lawmakers were warning of rampant violence throughout Congress’s vote to formalize the election results, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Hill leaders have been requesting security briefings ahead of Sept. 18, including one held Monday, to guarantee that officials have a game plan if violence erupts this weekend.
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“We are here to protect everyone’s First Amendment right to peacefully protest,” Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger announced in a statement after the briefing. “I urge anyone who is thinking about causing trouble to stay home. We will enforce the law and not tolerate violence.”
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Leaving Monday’s briefing, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated that he sees a clear distinction between the security planning now versus January.
“They seemed very, very well-prepared — much better prepared than before Jan. 6,” he announced. “I think they're ready for whatever might happen.”
Pelosi presented a similar assessment, explaining that she’s seen “much better communication” between security officials heading into Saturday’s rally. Yet she further took a subtle shot at the former security heads, lamenting that congressional leaders were left out of the loop in January.
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“It seems much better,” Pelosi announced after Monday’s briefing. Yet “I don't have anything to compare to, because we weren't briefed before."
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Adding to the urgency encompassing the security planning, Capitol Police officers early Monday morning arrested a 44-year-old California man for possessing a bayonet and a machete just outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters, which sits just south of the Capitol and was targeted with a pipe bomb soon before the Jan. 6 attack.