Defense Secretary Austin extends National Guard deployment at Capitol
Roughly 2,300 National Guard troops will support Capitol Police efforts in Washington, D.C. through at least May 23 after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a request to extend their deployment on Tuesday.
The state of play: The approval for continued deployment represents a 50% reduction to the current number of troops at the Capitol, which has been occupied by the Guard since the Jan. 6 attack by pro-Trump supporters.
Context: Congress is still receiving threats months after the insurrection.
- The House canceled voting plans for a day last week after a report from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned of threats against Democratic lawmakers.
What they're saying: "During this extended period, DOD officials will work with the U.S. Capitol Police to incrementally reduce the National Guard footprint as conditions allow," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
- "This decision was made after a thorough review of the request and after close consideration of its potential impact on readiness."