Pentagon set to OK extending Guard deployment at Capitol

WASHINGTON >> The Pentagon is set to approve an extension of the National Guard deployment at the U.S. Capitol for about two more months as possible threats of violence remain, defense officials said Tuesday.

Officials said final details were being worked out, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to give final approval to have Guard troops continue to provide security in Washington at the request of the Capitol

Police. Officials have been scrambling in recent days to determine if and how to fill the request for more than 2,000 Guard members, as the original March 12 deadline for them to leave Washington looms.

The decision 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 the defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby would not confirm the impending approval, but said Austin is expected to make a decision “very, very soon.” Asked about the security threat, Kirby said any decision would be based on local law enforcement concerns along with the needs of the Capitol Police.

“It’s not just about a threat assessment, it’s about assisting and supporting capabilities that the Capitol Police may now lack and may need to look at improving,” Kirby said, adding that the extension request was based largely on using the Guard to make up for gaps in the capabilities of the Capitol Police.

Army leaders had also initially questioned whether the Capitol Police had exhausted all other options to fill the need, such as asking other federal law enforcement agencies to provide security. But officials said military leaders thought it was important to find ways to work out the details.

It was unclear Tuesday if Guard troops currently in Washington would have to stay an extra day or two while the new forces arrive and get trained and settled in.

The threat was tied to the far-right conspiracy theory promoted by QAnon supporters that former President Donald Trump would rise again to power on March 4, the original presidential inauguration day. That day passed with no problems, but law enforcement has said threats to buildings and personnel remain.

The Guard’s deployment to the Capitol has been troubled. Early on, Guard members were briefly forced to take rest breaks and meals in a nearby cold garage, sparking outrage within the Biden administration. Officials quickly found new spaces within congressional buildings for the onduty breaks.