Earlier this week, a plan was revealed to re-open the U.S. Capitol, which has been closed for over two years now. It’s taking place in stages, though, so that it won’t be fully open to visitors until Labor Day, which falls on Monday, September 5, this year. That’s almost six months away.
The phased re-opening is set to begin later this month, on March 28. Fox News’ Chad Pergram shared details over Twitter.
A Monday report from POLITICO also indicated that the timeline could be affected by Capitol Police shortages. Last week’s passage of the omnibus, though, provided less of an excuse, considering it “included an $87 million increase in funding for the Capitol Police, which appropriators said would allow the department to hire up to 2,112 sworn officers and 450 civilian members.”
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) have proposed resolutions in their chambers to force a re-opening of the Capitol. On Tuesday, Rep. Steil, who has talked to Townhall previously about his resolution, issued a statement condemning the timeline.
“The phased reopening of the United States Capitol is simply insufficient. Museums, stadiums, businesses, and workplaces across the country have successfully reopened, and the United States Capitol shouldn’t be any different. The House resolution I introduced, with the support of over 80 of my colleagues, calls for the Capitol’s reopening to be made a top priority that is done expeditiously and safely. The phased reopening and proposed Labor Day goal for fully reopening is insufficient. We need to reopen the Capitol and People’s House now,” Steil said.
The congressman’s office confirmed for Townhall on Thursday that his resolution currently has 83 co-sponsors.
Democratic leadership has referenced not only the pandemic, but also January 6, 2021, as to why the People’s House has been kept closed.
This is an excerpt from Townhall.
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