Connect with us

Politics

As Washington DC Turns Rowdy, Lawmakers Urged to Travel by Tunnel

Our elected officials are being given urgent security instructions by the Capitol’s sergeant-at-arms.

Wednesday is going to be dramatic, one way or another, and our elected officials are adjusting their routines accordingly.

On Wednesday, Congress will convene to certify the results of the 2020 election, as reported by the electoral college.  President Trump is urging not only his supporters to descend upon the capital to express their views, but also pushing for Vice President Mike Pence to reject the electors from certain states.  Pence has objected, declaring that he doesn’t have the authority for such action, but Trump has persisted.

All of this has created a toxic brew, of sorts, and it has some lawmakers on edge. 

U.S. lawmakers are receiving urgent security instructions in advance of potential violence in Washington tied to Wednesday’s joint session of Congress to count Electoral College votes.

The precautions distributed Monday to members of the House and Senate include guidance to use underground tunnels while traveling between chambers in the Capitol and to nearby office buildings during the day. “Members and staff should expect demonstration activity and street closures” to affect access to the Capitol, the House sergeant-at-arms said in a memo.

And there’s more…

The instructions to lawmakers also provide emergency telephone numbers for Capitol police and House and Senate sergeants-at-arms. Lawmakers are encouraged to arrive at the Capitol early on Wednesday, and told they should make use of garages with barricades and security access points.

Lawmakers were also receiving a rundown of extensive road closures around the Capitol and elsewhere in Washington.

After Tuesday night’s clashes between Trump supporters and the police, we can only hope that Wednesday’s electoral results won’t push the nation over the edge.

Become an insider!

Sign up for our free email newsletter, and we'll make sure to keep you in the loop.

Join the conversation!

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it, please mark it as spam. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.