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In the wake of the assault on Congress, the United States National Guard was called in to secure the inauguration of Joe Biden, when he was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday.
25,000 soldiers have protected the capital since the January 6 storm.
Now, however, the images of soldiers lounging in a parking lot, against concrete pillars a few feet from parked cars, are generating strong reactions.
Earlier in the day, soldiers were asked to move the rest area from the cafeteria to the garage.
– This is outrageous, embarrassing, and incredibly disrespectful to the men and women who keep the United States Capitol safe and secure. We need it resolved and we need answers on how it happened, writes Senator Kyrsten Sinema in one twitter message.
– Feels betrayed
According to CNN, thousands of soldiers were moved to a parking lot after being told they could no longer use the space in the US Capitol Complex, including areas like a Senate office cafeteria as a rest area.
Immediate change made
Several areas throughout the Capitol Complex are said to have been designated as authorized rest areas, where soldiers can take breaks from their shifts.
However, by Thursday morning, all of these areas had been cleared and the designations removed.
“We feel betrayed,” one soldier told CNN.
Another soldier said that 5,000 soldiers had to share a bathroom with two toilets.
It’s a shame
Reactions were not long in coming, and several have been angered by Twitter, including Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives.
– Why are US troops forced to maintain security at the Capitol to sleep in a parking lot? They deserve to be treated with respect and we deserve answers.
– Unreal. I cannot believe that the same courageous officials we have asked to protect the Capitol and our Constitution for the past two weeks will receive an order without celebrating the building. I demand answers as soon as possible. You can use my office, writes war veteran Tammy Duckworth.
– Thousands of guards left their families and jobs to keep the Capitol safe. And what do they get for their service? Rest in cold parking lots. Shame, writes a member of the House of Representatives Jim Jordan.
behind
A National Guard spokesman said Thursday that police asked them to temporarily move the rest area, in line with increased activity in congress.
“They were temporarily moved to the Thurgood Marshall Judical Center garage, with heating and bathrooms,” the spokesperson told NBC News.
It is further claimed that the soldiers have now moved back to the Capitol.
Visited by the first lady of the United States
In the wake of the revelation, America’s new first lady, Jill Biden, visited the National Guard on Friday.
It was the first official visit of the first lady outside the White House.
“I just wanted to come here today to thank you all for keeping me and my family safe,” Biden told CNN, referring to the opening ceremony.
– I know you left your hometowns for this, he continued, adding that his son Beau Biden had also served in the National Guard.
– The National Guard will always have a special place in my heart, he concluded.
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