Letter to Director Murray - Brown, Hoyer, Members Of The DMV Delegations Demand Additional Security Measures Ahead Of Presidential Inauguration

Letter

Dear Director Murray:

We write to you today with grave concerns regarding the potential for additional threats against the United States Capitol during the 59th Inauguration of the President of the United States of America, and to express our firm support for increased and necessary measures to ensure that the transition of power is safe, secure, and without incident. The unprecedented siege of Congressional buildings by domestic enemies has raised the potential for threats from within our own nation and has cast doubt on our ability to secure the facilities for the upcoming National Special Security Event.

This threat to our security and our country by domestic terrorists continues and must be at the forefront of security contingencies for the Inauguration. Even prior to the events of January 6, public reports had already begun to emerge regarding attempts to disrupt the transition, from the potential that anti-election disrupters may set up an "armed encampment" on the Washington Mall to various right-wing extremist groups and armed militias will sow civil disorder and damage property. This dialogue has intensified following the certification of the Presidential election and the assault on our nation's capital, with the Anti-Defamation League identifying extremists who have already begun plotting on social media their next coup attempt targeting Inauguration Day. These threats persist and have been exacerbated by the ongoing rhetoric from President Trump, who has been reluctant, tepid, and in some cases, encouraging of continuing the fight.

These threats are extant, credible, and have the potential to expand over the next two weeks. We call on you to immediately conduct a review of security plans and contingency responses ahead of the Inauguration. We strongly urge you to ensure that there are no cross jurisdictional gaps in your coordination with other federal agencies and law enforcement partners, including the United States Capitol Police, other agencies under the Department of Homeland Security, the United States Park Service, and the National Guard of the District of Columbia and other States. Any credible threats made on social media or in other channels should be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation immediately and action must be taken to ensure any potential threat actors are not allowed to travel to the National Capital Region.

Additionally, we implore you to ensure that all necessary resources or assistance are identified and approved in advance in order to guarantee the safety of the District of Columbia broader region is maintained when President-elect Joe Biden takes his oath of office. The potential threat is not just to the incoming administration, Members of Congress, or federal grounds; the threat extends to the very people who will travel to the region to be witness to democracy in action. The contingency plans must include additional reserve resources pre-positioned to quickly and decisively respond to any potential escalation that occurs from either civil disorder or a terrorist attack around the Inauguration.

As a component of this review, we request that you assess the actions of the law enforcement officers who are assigned to protect the Capitol. While investigations are ongoing, early indications are that members of Capitol Police and other agencies were complicit in the breach of the Capitol. There have been incredibly disturbing reports of officers enabling access to the Capitol, providing directions to specific locations within the building, and participating in social media posts with active terrorist threats. These behaviors tarnish the proud service of all law enforcement officers who sacrifice to protect our citizens and diminish our collective ability to secure the democratic transition of power.

Every inauguration in the history of our nation has been successfully held without disruption by any enemy, foreign or domestic. Under the shadow of terrorists overrunning the seat of our government, threatening the safety of our elected officials and public servants, and actively seeking to disrupt the transition of power, it is clear that the security risks to this year's Inauguration are higher than ever. It is incumbent on all stakeholders to guarantee that the events that unfolded on January 6 are a singular mistake in our nation's history and not a forewarning of a more significant tragedy. It is imperative that you take every measure to ensure the expression of our democracy at the Inauguration is not jeopardized as well.

You will note that one of the signatories of this letter is the House Majority Leader, who is an ex officio member of JCCIC and strongly supports this request to ensure that the USSS does not overlook, minimize, or dismiss any security threat in its security preparations.

We thank you for your commitment to the security of our nation and the people of this great country. We stand ready to assist in any and all ways to ensure that you are successful in your mission of securing the Inauguration.

Sincerely,

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