Capitol Police request extension of National Guard to protect Congress, defense

About 5,200 Guard troops are on duty in Washington now, staffing a security perimeter around the Capitol that includes miles of fencing around one of the major symbols of American democracy. It was installed after the insurrection, launched by supporters of President Donald Trump after a “Stop the Steal” rally in support of his false claims that he won the election.

The D.C. National Guard referred questions about the request, first reported by the Associated Press, to the Pentagon.

“The current mission extends to March 12,” said Capt. Edwin Nieves, a spokesman for the D.C. National Guard. “We do not have an authorized extension of that mission at this time.”

The request appeared to catch D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser by surprise.

“It was our expectation that the additional forces would be leaving now,” she said, adding that Capitol Police have had limited communication with the city about their security requests. “We don’t know why additional forces have been requested until May…. It was our expectation that the National Guard support would be lessened significantly around this time.”

The request comes after Capitol Police officials said Wednesday that they had information about a possible attempt by a militia group to breach the Capitol on Thursday, a date that some followers of the QAnon extremist ideology falsely claim will mark Trump’s return to the White House. The House canceled a session on Thursday in response, while the Senate remained in session to consider President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

“We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers,” police said in a statement Wednesday.

Concerns about QAnon at the Capitol were not borne out Thursday. While Guard members remained on duty and the fencing and barbed wire is still in place, there was no violence.

Rumors of the National Guard extending its stay in Washington have been persistent for weeks. One defense official familiar with the talks said that discussions have included the possibility of scaling back the number of troops around the Capitol, but keeping others ready at the D.C. Armory, about two miles away, for a possible emergency.

The National Guard initially responded a few hours after the breach of Congress, in a move that critics have said was too slow. Its presence expanded to about 26,000 members from across the country for Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, and has steadily declined since.

The entire D.C. National Guard has about 2,700 soldiers and airmen, according to Guard officials. About 1,100 of them are devoted to the Capitol security mission, Nieves said.

They are supplemented by Guard members from multiple states, who are sent at the direction of their governors. While in the District, they are all under the command of Maj. Gen. William Walker, the head of the D.C. National Guard.

The appearance of the military forces, and the onerous security measures in place, have become controversial — and politicized — in recent weeks.

On Thursday, Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), whose state…