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Arrington Demands Speaker Pelosi to Remove Capitol Fencing

Washington, February 26, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) led 30 of his colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding answers on the nearly $500 million expenditure for the National Guard presence and excessive security around the U.S. Capitol. 

“The Capitol of the free world should not look like a Soviet-style military state. The bureaucrats who put up razor wire fencing around the U.S. Capitol are the same politicians who halted construction on the U.S. border wall. Democrat leadership are more concerned about their own safety rather than the wellbeing of everyday citizens,” said Rep. Arrington.

Excerpts from the letter: 

 “The Pentagon recently announced that sending National Guard troops to occupy the Capitol Complex from January 6 to March 15 will cost $483 million. In light of this staggering announcement, we are asking for a detailed justification for continued National Guard presence and clarity on whether taxpayers will be responsible for this nearly $500 million expenditure.”

“The events of January 6 were reprehensible, and we understand a temporary need for increased security. However, keeping thousands of troops in Washington indefinitely is fiscally irresponsible and sends the wrong message to our nation. The American people do not have the luxury of calling in thousands of troops and spending millions of dollars to build barbed-wire fences around their homes when they feel vulnerable. To indulge Members of Congress – particularly if it is at the taxpayers’ expense – with these excessive measures is insulting and un-American.” 

Background:

  • On January 6, 2021, razor wire laced fence went up around the U.S. Capitol in response to the attack on the Capitol.
  • On January 28, 2021, Speaker Pelosi held a press conference and stated Congress will need to provide “even more funds for more security for members, when the enemy is within the House of Representatives, a threat that members are concerned about.”
  • On February 4th, 2021, the Associated Press reported that U.S. National Guard deployment to the U.S. Capitol will cost nearly $500 million. 
  • On February 18, 2021, the Associated Press reported that U.S. Capitol Police suggested the fence will remain standing for “several more months.”

Full text of the letter can be found here.