Enhanced US Capitol security amid threats to Biden speech

WASHINGTON: Enhanced security measures should remain in place at the US Capitol amid threats by militia members to stage an attack during President Joe Biden’s expected State of the Union address, the acting Capitol police chief said.

“We know that the insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol weren’t only interesting in attacking members of Congress and officers,” Yogananda Pittman said at a congressional hearing into the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of then-president Donald Trump.

“They wanted to send a symbolic message to the nation as to who was in charge of that legislative process,” she told lawmakers.

Pittman said a robust security posture should remain at the Capitol ahead of Biden’s first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, which has not yet been scheduled.

“We know that members of the militia groups that were present on Jan 6 have stated their desire that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with a direct nexus to the State of the Union,” Pittman said.

“So based on that information, we think that it’s prudent that Capitol police maintain its enhanced and robust security posture until we address those vulnerabilities going forward.”

Following the Jan 6 attack, fencing has been erected around the Capitol grounds, and National Guard troops have been deployed to back up the Capitol police force.