1:08 p.m. ET, February 25, 2021
Officials tracking threats by militia groups involved in riot "with direct nexus" to State of the Union
From CNN's Zachary Cohen
A sign reading 'Police Line Do Not Cross' hangs from the fenced perimeter surrounding the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 10.
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
Asked about the timeline for removing fencing and other extra security precautions around the US Capitol, acting US Capitol Police Chief
Yogananda Pittman said Thursday that law enforcement officials are aware of new threats against Congress “with a direct nexus to the State of the Union” involving members of militia groups involved in the Jan. 6 riots.
“We know that members of the militia groups that were present on Jan. 6 have stated their desires that they want to blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible with a direct nexus to the State of the Union, which we know that date has not been identified,” she told House lawmakers during Thursday’s hearing.
“We know that the insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol weren’t only interested in attacking members of congress and officers. They wanted to send a symbolic message to the nation as to who is in charge of that legislative process,” she added.
CNN has previously reported that US Capitol Police told lawmakers that the razor wire fencing around the Capitol should remain in place until at least September due to lingering security concerns related to threats against members of Congress.
But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have become increasingly vocal about removing the fencing and sending National Guard troops who remain in Washington back to their home states.
Last month, Pittman proposed permanent fencing around the Capitol but that idea was met with swift resistance from lawmakers, including DC Mayor Muriel Bowser who quickly responded by saying the city will not "accept extra troops or permanent fencing as a long-term fixture in DC."
“We have no intention of keeping the National Guard soldiers or that fencing any longer than what Is actually needed. We’re actively working with a scaled down approach so that we can make sure that we address three primary variables. One is the known threat to the environment, two is the infrastructure vulnerabilities and then that third variable being the limitations the US Capitol’s police knows that it has as it relates to human capital and technology resources,” Pittman said Thursday.
Later in the hearing, Pittman said the fencing around the Capitol is not permanent.
Lawmakers have repeatedly pressed law enforcement and defense officials to explain whether there is a credible threat that justifies keeping those security precautions in place.
CNN previously reported that law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security are not currently tracking any "credible or specific threats," but are constantly monitoring online chatter about potential violence in Washington DC and against members of Congress.
“The most significant terrorism-related threat currently facing the nation comes from lone offenders and small groups of individuals inspired by domestic extremist ideological beliefs, including those based on false narratives spread over social media and other online platforms," a DHS spokesperson told CNN earlier this month.