Pentagon approves extending Guard deployment at Capitol
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has formally approved an extension of the National Guard deployment at the U.S. Capitol for about two more months as possible threats of violence remain, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
According to a statement issued by the department, close to 2,300 Guard troops will continue to provide security in Washington until May 23, at the request of the Capitol Police. Officials have been scrambling in recent days to determine if and how to fill the request, as the original March 12 deadline for them to leave Washington loomed.
There are currently about 5,100 Guard troops in Washington, and they were scheduled to leave this weekend. It was unclear if any of those forces will have to stay an extra day or two while any new troops arrive and get trained and settled in. The Pentagon said defense officials
will work with the Capitol Police to incrementally reduce the number of Guard needed in the city as time goes on.
The decision to keep Guard members in the city underscores concerns about security at the Capitol, two months after rioters breached the building in an attack that left five people dead. Law enforcement has remained in a heightened security posture in response to intelligence
suggesting possible threats to the Capitol by militia groups.
The request to extend the deployment met resistance last week, as some governors expressed reluctance or flatly refused to commit their troops to more time in the city. There now appear to be enough states willing to provide Guard troops for the mission, said defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.