Capitol ‘Absolutely’ A Bigger Target Than Ever Before, Says Army General Who Led Jan. 6 Security Review - Forbes

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Topline

Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, the retired Army general who led the review of Capitol security after the Jan. 6 riots, said Sunday that this week’s attack on the complex should pull into focus the necessity of bolstering security at a building he described as facing a rising threat level.

Key Facts

Speaking on ABC News’s “This Week,” Honoré responded to a question from anchor George Stephanopoulos by saying the Capitol is “absolutely” becoming more of a target than ever before.

“At the end of the day, 24/7, 365 [days a year], Capitol police have to be ready to protect the Capitol,” said Honoré, who was tasked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with reviewing the building’s security in the wake of the deadly Capitol attacks earlier this year.

Honoré said the latest deadly attack on the building—when a 25-year-old rammed his car into the barricade on Friday, killing one U.S. Capitol Police officer—highlights the importance of making the security updates proposed in a reportedly soon-to-be finalized $2 billion funding package, which stemmed from many of the proposals made by his task force.

“We’ve given that bill to Congress and we need them to move forward now,” said Honoré, emphasizing: “The Capitol police have to be ready to protect the Capitol.”

Crucial Quote

“[The Capitol] is the most important building in America because it is the seat of our democracy,” said Honoré. “Whatever price we have to pay to protect it, we have to do it.”

Key Background

The $2 billion security package was put together by congressional leaders in the House following the release of Honoré’s report on Capitol security last month. The bill would institute permanent fencing around the building, and would also bolster the law enforcement protecting the Capitol through the hiring of hundreds of new security personnel, the expansion of the U.S. Capitol Police and new authorities for the dispatching of Washington, D.C.’s National Guard. Republicans have criticized the idea of adding further security to the Capitol, while lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have voiced opposition to the provision of permanent fencing, which they slam for cutting off public access to the building. “I think it’d be a mistake for fencing to be a permanent part of the Capitol,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said during a separate interview on “This Week.”

Chief Critic

“There are no serious threats against the Capitol,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said last month, accusing Congress of “way overreacting to the current need.”

Big Number

3. That’s how many U.S. Capitol Police officers have died since Jan. 6. Two officers died in the immediate aftermath of the pro-Trump riots, while a third, William Evans, died after 25-year-old Noah Green rammed his car into a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol building and “lunged” at police officers, brandishing a knife. A second officer was injured in the attack, but has since been released from hospital.