The U.S. Capitol Police have increased security on Capitol Hill following a shooting just across the river in Alexandria, Virginia, that wounded lawmakers and staffers who were practicing for their annual charity baseball game.
“Out of an abundance of caution,” the Capitol Police wrote in an email alert, “the USCP has deployed a robust police presence throughout the Capitol Complex,” which includes the House and Senate office buildings and the visitor’s center. “However, all building within the Complex are open in accordance with routine operations.”
Senate staff confirmed to TPM that the entire east front of the Capitol has been shut down until further notice, with no one allowed to enter or exit through the stately carriage doors. Instead, everyone is being routed through the office buildings, which are connected to the Capitol by underground tunnels. Some were overheard grumbling about the inconvenience, calling it an “overreaction” and wondering aloud how it made the place any safer.
All House votes and several congressional events—including a press conference by Democrats filing a lawsuit against President Trump for accepting foreign payments—have been canceled in the wake of the shooting. Among those canceled: a scheduled hearing on a bill to deregulate gun silencers.
Yet the atmosphere seemed almost normal Wednesday morning as hundreds of staffers, journalists, and tourists arrived on Capitol Hill. A few more Capitol Police officers on bicycles perched on the corners around the busiest entrances, and officers checked IDs both inside and outside the building. Normally, IDs are only checked as people go through security inside the building. Capitol Police officers seemed relaxed and in good spirits despite the morning’s incident, in which officers as well as members of Congress were reportedly shot.
That is a headline, which requires a great deal of parsing…or maybe a comma/semi-colon ?
I certainly hope that this doesn’t lead to less access to Congress at a time we need more.
This is tragic, but at the same time I want to point out how they get increased security after an incident like this, while the rest of us are on our own when stuff like this happens. They use it as a photo op and a sound bite and then proceed to try to make it easier for those with mental health and criminal histories to legally obtain guns.
These are the same member’s of congress who are supporting the ‘Sportsmen’s Hearing Protection Act’, which is a giant F*** YOU to public safety. Congressman, for the love of god, think about how many of your staff and colleagues would have died during this if the shooter had a legally obtained silencer! Chances are several people would have been killed before anybody even realized what was happening. I AM a sportsman, I grew up hunting and shooting skeet and there is no reason for me to have a silencer unless I’m shooting where I shouldn’t be shooting and don’t want to make noise…like in a city, or a school, or a mall. Nobody’s Second Amendment protections are infringed upon by not being able to get a silencer. The only result in senseless bloody attacks on people ending in a higher body count.
All of this and future sadness was predictable. The excesses of government and the ripping away of regular citizens economic opportunities and the proliferation of all manner of guns and military equipment unfortunately provide capability to vent one’s anger. As the government proceeds down the road they are now on and the citizenry that is armed to the teeth and is lied to daily sees (in their mind) an opportunity to strike out … Katie bar the door.
Two slang items from my ancient military past come to mind "the government now must be considered “FUBAR” and “stand the fuck by”. We ain’t seen nothin’ yet!
Way to try and put the toothpaste back in the tube, guys!