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WASHINGTON DC, KOMPAS.com – The President of the United States (USA) Joe Biden apologized after several members of the National Guard on duty at the Capitol rested and lay down in the parking lot.
More than 25,000 National Guard soldiers were deployed to Washington DC to secure Joe Biden’s inauguration, following the riots earlier this month.
But on Thursday (1/21/2021) the photos of National Guard personnel were forced to rest in the parking lot after officers returned.
Also read: Possible extremists, 12 National Guard members fired from Biden’s security team
Inevitably, politicians immediately criticized the condition and several state governors called for the withdrawal of their troops.
They are concerned that staff are resting exposed to car fumes and there is no adequate access to facilities such as bathrooms, despite being on call for days.
The position of the adjacent staff also raises fears of transmission of the corona virus.
That concern was also evident with 100-200 staff members testing positive for Covid-19, an anonymous official told AFP. Reuters.
Also read: More than 150 National Guards on Stand at the Inauguration of Joe Biden Positive Covid-19
Then, Biden called the head of the National Guard Bureau on Friday (1/22/2021), to apologize and ask what he could do.
First Lady Jill Biden also reached out to several National Guard staff to say thank you in person and to bring snacks from the White House.
“I came today to thank you all for taking care of me and my family,” he said. BBC.
There are different versions of why the National Guard troops were transferred from inside the Capitol to the parking lot.
Hundreds of Guard soldiers relegated to the Senate garage, breathing exhaust gases and covid. The story comes in a moment pic.twitter.com/8OW4frePOh
– Alex Horton (@AlexHortonTX) January 22, 2021
A spokesman for the National Guard told US media that they were transferred Thursday afternoon at the request of the Capitol Police.
The reason is the large number of people who entered the building when members of Congress returned inside.
But Capitol Acting Police Yogananda Pittman said his party had not instructed the National Guard to evacuate the building.
Also read: Information from Simpang Siur, National Guard was “evicted” before being asked to return to the Capitol building
Then on Thursday night, the National Guard troops were allowed to return to the Capitol.
A joint statement from the National Guard and Capitol Police on Friday said they were working together to provide adequate space in the Capitol Complex to rest while on duty.
They also explained that off-duty staff were provided hotel rooms or other accommodations and thanked members of Congress for their attention.
About 19,000 people will return to their home states in the coming days, and the remaining 7,000 will remain on hold in Washington DC, according to New York Times.
Also read: The FBI Intervenes to Prevent Infiltrators From Entering the National Guard for Biden’s Inauguration
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