Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton told legislators that more than $30 million in expenses were incurred by the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and the security measures required in its aftermath.
On Wednesday, Blanton indicated that appropriations committees in Congress have approved a transfer request for $30 million but forecasted that repairs and money owed will exceed initial estimates.
“History teaches us that project costs for replacements and repairs beyond in-kind improvements across campus will be considerable and beyond the scope of the current budgetary environment,” he said.
In early January, thousands of former President Donald Trump’s supporters clashed with law enforcement and breached the Capitol in a violent event that led to five deaths, including one police officer. In the days that followed, upward of 26,000 National Guard troops were deployed to Washington, D.C., ahead of President Biden’s inauguration, an event preceded by multiple threats to interrupt the process. Guard members still occupy the area outside the Capitol at the time of publishing.
Blanton recalled the breach from his perspective during the Wednesday chat with lawmakers, detailing extensive damage.
WHAT WE SAW AND HEARD ON THE GROUND DURING THE CAPITOL SIEGE
“Over the course of a couple of hours, the hard work of our team was destroyed,” he said. “The [inauguration] platform was wrecked, there was broken glass and other debris, sound systems and photography equipment was damaged beyond repair or stolen, two historic Olmsted lanterns were ripped from the ground, and the wet blue paint was tracked all over the historic stone balustrades and Capitol building hallways.”
The architect said his team was trying to mitigate damage during the violent unrest.
“Employees sheltered congressional staff in their shops to protect them from the roving mob … other members of our team raced to the roof to reverse the airflows within the building to help clear the air of chemical irritants, like bear repellents and pepper spray, while more team members rushed bottles of water and eyewash stations to Capitol Police officers in need of assistance,” Blanton said.
Security officials tasked with protecting the Capitol testified before the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday after questions were raised about the efficiency of the response. Acting Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee, former House of Representatives Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Irving, former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, and former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and doorkeeper Michael Stenger told Senate Rules Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar that they believed the attack was planned and coordinated before Jan. 6.
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“MPD’s police officers were engaged in a literal battle for hours. Many were forced into hand-to-hand combat to prevent more rioters from gaining entry into the Capitol. This was not a peaceful protest. This was not a crowd trying to express their First Amendment rights — rights which we are proud to protect regardless of belief,” Contee said. “At the end of the day, this was an assault on our democracy, and MPD officers held the line.”
