Some of the 8-foot fencing that has surrounded the U.S. Capitol for more than two months is coming down.
Acting House sergeant-at-arms Timothy Blodgett, in a memo to lawmakers, cited “no known credible threat against Congress or the Capitol Complex that warrants the temporary security fencing.”
Blodgett said Capitol officials “will move the fence closer to the Capitol building,” beginning this week but will leave in place “the inner perimeter fencing” around the Capitol and office buildings.
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The razor wire that tops the fencing will be removed, Blodgett said.
“The new positioning will move the fence closer to the Capitol building and will provide access to the avenues and some of the sidewalks,” Blodgett said in the memo.
Lawmakers and other public officials have become increasingly opposed to the fortress-like appearance of the Capitol.
Police erected the nonscalable fencing topped with razor wire immediately after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a violent throng of Trump supporters. The angry mob easily pushed their way past the police and low metal fencing.
Since the attack, the Capitol has been guarded by thousands of National Guard troops, who police have requested remain on the campus for at least another 60 days.
Blodgett told lawmakers in the memo that the National Guard “will begin to reduce its posture at the Capitol in the coming weeks” but will “continue to maintain a presence and an increased security posture.”
Lawmakers in both parties say the fencing and troops are not warranted.
On Friday, the top Democratic and Republican members on the House Armed Services Committee called for troops to be scaled down.
Last month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed former Lt. Gen. Russel Honore to conduct a complete security review of the Capitol following the Jan. 6 attack.
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Honore issued a draft report that called for the creation of a “quick reaction force” to be on guard 24 hours a day, staffed by either specially trained federal officers or members of the National Guard.
He also recommended removing the permanent fencing and installing retractable and mobile fencing to use in emergencies.
