WASHINGTON – The U.S. Capitol Police is pleased to receive a special security commitment from the Department of Homeland Security for January 6, 2025, when Congress meets to certify the Electoral College vote count for the winner of the presidential election.
The last time Congress assumed this responsibility, a pro-Trump mob attacked the building, eventually breaking through police lines, seriously injuring officers and disrupting the proceedings.
The rioters were incited by false claims by former president and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that he had won the 2020 election. In fact, he had lost both the majority of the popular vote and the Electoral College.
Members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence were evacuated or told to shelter in their offices as one of the most secure buildings in the country was stormed.
Federal prosecutors have since secured convictions or plea deals for hundreds of people who attacked law enforcement and obstructed Congress’s task of certifying that day’s vote.
U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger released a written statement Thursday saying that “designation as a national special security event will further strengthen our work to protect members of Congress and the legislative process.”
“The United States Capitol Police has been preparing for the January 6 vote count and inauguration for several 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 (NSSEs) are not uncommon at major events such as the State of the Union addresses, presidential inaugurations, and the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions, which take place every four years.
However, this is the first time that such a document has been issued for the certification of the Electoral College votes by Congress.
This designation means that the U.S. Secret Service is the lead federal agency assisting in security planning for the event, even though it is taking place at the Capitol, where the USCP normally has ultimate jurisdiction.
“National special security events are events of the highest national importance,” said Eric Ranaghan, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dignitary Protective Division in a written statement released on 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.”
