(TheRedWire.com) – In the aftermath of the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill, Democrats and Republicans pointed the finger of blame at each other. Democrats alleged the Trump administration delayed a request to the Department of Defense to activate the National Guard to assist the Capitol Police. Republicans allege House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) failed to act quickly in mobilizing the Capitol Police. On Tuesday, December 14, both sides finally came together to pass overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation to potentially solve the problem for future emergencies.
Congress passed a bill on Tuesday that allows the U.S. Capitol Police chief to directly request help from the D.C. National Guard. https://t.co/v3vxM32Jbm pic.twitter.com/v1jkWbnVdd
— DCist (@DCist) December 15, 2021
On Monday, the Senate passed The Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act. On Tuesday, the House followed suit and sent the legislation to President Biden’s desk for his signature. The bill authorizes the US Capitol Police to request assistance from the National Guard without prior approval from the president or Speaker of the House. By giving the Capitol police chief autonomy in an emergency, lawmakers expect the removal of bureaucratic red tape will make protective measures more responsive in the future during a crisis.
The law came out of recommendations offered by the Senate Rules and Administration and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees. Those who studied the security breakdowns on January 6 believe the measure could have prevented the illegal breach of the Capitol building as lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence worked to certify the Electoral College results.
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