WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol Police welcomes a special security designation from the Department of Homeland Security for January 6, 2025, when Congress will meet to certify the Electoral College votes for the winner of the presidential election.
The last time Congress took on this responsibility, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building, eventually breaking through police barricades, seriously injuring officers and disrupting the trial.
The riot was fueled by false claims by former President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that he won the 2020 election, when in fact he lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College.
Members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence were evacuated or ordered to stay in their offices as one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the country was taken over.
Since then, federal prosecutors have secured convictions or settlements for hundreds of people who attacked law enforcement and obstructed Congress from certifying the vote that day.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger issued a written statement Thursday saying the “designation as an event of national security significance will further enhance our efforts to protect Members of Congress and the legislative process.”
“The U.S. Capitol Police have been preparing for the January 6 vote count, as well as the inauguration, for months,” Manger added. “We have made hundreds of changes and improvements over the past three years and are confident that the Capitol will be safe and secure.”
National Special Security Events, or NSSEs, can be expected during major events such as State of the Union addresses, presidential inaugurations, and the presidential nominating conventions, which Democrats and Republicans hold every four years.
However, this will be the first time that Congress will issue such a document to confirm the votes of the Electoral College.
This distinction means the lead federal agency handling security planning for the event will be the U.S. Secret Service, even though the event will be held at the U.S. Capitol, where the USCP typically has ultimate jurisdiction.
“National events of critical national security significance are events of the highest national importance,” Eric Ranaghan, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dignitary Protection Division, said in a statement. written statement issued Wednesday. “The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state and local partners, is committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety of this event and its participants.”
