There is new intelligence indicating that militia groups have expressed a desire to “blow up” the Capitol building and “kill as many members as possible” on the day President Biden addresses Congress, Yogananda Pittman, acting chief of police , Thursday during a hearing in the House the uprising on January 6.
‘We know that members of the militia groups present on 6 January expressed their desire to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with a direct connection to the State of the Union, which we know has not been identified to date. not, ”Pittman told the Subcommittee on the Branch Act.
“We know that the insurgents who attacked the Capitol were not only interested in attacking members of Congress and officers; they wanted to send a symbolic message to the country responsible for the legislative process,” she added. .
CAPITOL POLICE UNION SLAMS ‘HIS FUNCTION’ ON RIOT HEARING AS COPPERS LOOK HIDDEN BACK DISKS, BRAIN INJURIES
U.S. Capitol police did not return an email and voicemail left by Fox News on Thursday.
Pittman raised the issue after questions from several lawmakers about fences and restrictions on pedestrian traffic, as well as the continued presence of the National Guard, at the Capitol complex more than a month after the January 6 uprising. Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., Said such measures make ‘the seat of democracy look like a military base’.
“We are not going to keep the soldiers of the national guard or the fence longer than is actually necessary,” Pittman replied. “We are actively working on a scaled-down approach so that we can ensure that we address three primary variables: one is the known threat to the environment, two are the vulnerability of infrastructure and then the third variable is the constraints imposed by the U.S. Capitol Police. know that it relates to human capital and technological resources. ‘
“But based on this information,” Pittman continued, “we think it is wise for the Capitol Police to maintain its improved and robust security position until we address the vulnerabilities going forward.”
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The White House has not yet planned a date for Biden to deliver his first speech at a joint sitting of Congress, although the president has suggested that it take place this month.
Traditionally, during their first year in office, often in February, presidents gave a speech to Congress. The speech at a joint session of Congress is like a State of the Union, but it is technically not so named until the president’s second year.
In his answer to a separate questionnaire by Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., Told Pittman Thursday that no evidence indicates that the race of those who attended the January 6 pro-Trump rally in Washington, DC, affected how the U.S. Capitol affected. Police interpreted intelligence in advance or adjusted the security attitude of the day before the uprising at the Capitol.
“Do you believe that institutional racism, that a culture of white supremacy, and I do not say a specific person or one action, do you think there was a contradiction between the intelligence received and the assessment of probable violence and preparation that officers left “at the mercy of the mob?” Clark asked.
“As the first black and female head of this department, I take any allegation of any unfair policing extremely seriously,” Pittman said. “I can assure you that there is no evidence to suggest any inconsistency based on safety attitude or improvement or not based on race.”
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Pittman said she took steps during the Black Lives Matter movement to hold city halls to address police morale and to address training in unconscious and implicit prejudice, explaining that as a mother of two black boys she understands That there are differences in policing over institutional racism. The U.S. Secret Service selected at least 15,000 people at the Ellipse on January 6 and another 15,000 outside the Ellipse, Pittman said. Security camera footage showed the crowd later heading to the Capitol.
The House Compensation Subcommittee Thursday on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol also included testimony from Acting Sergeant-in-Arms Timothy Blodgett.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.