Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, joined nearly three dozen House Republicans in sending a letter Monday demanding better living accommodations for members of the U.S. National Guard deployed to protect the U.S. Capitol from political violence.
It is unacceptable the National Guard deployed to the Capitol were placed in parking garages instead of receiving proper accommodations. I joined my colleagues in demanding better treatment.
Any Guardsman that needs a place to stay is welcome to use my office. https://t.co/m5kfTU1CUp
— Rep. Mike Garcia (@RepMikeGarcia) January 25, 2021
Led by Congressman Jody Hice of Georgia, Garcia was one of 33 House Republicans who signed a letter to the Chief of Capitol Police, as well as the Acting Sergeant at Arms for both the House and the Senate, that demanded better living accommodations for members of the U.S. National Guard currently deployed to protect the U.S. Capitol.
“It is unacceptable the National Guard deployed to the Capitol were placed in parking garages instead of receiving proper accommodations,” Garcia wrote in a tweet Monday. “I joined my colleagues in demanding better treatment. Any Guardsman that needs a place to stay is welcome to use my office.”
The letter comes on the heels of reports that thousands of guardsmen were ordered out of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday and “placed in parking garages or directed outside in the winter cold.”
The National Guard was deployed to D.C. in the wake of the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, which officials say created an “unprecedented security situation” that necessitated the guardsmen to protect the Capitol Complex.
“This rapid deployment understandably led to some early logistical confusion and adjustment with living arrangements for the National Guard stationed throughout the Capitol Complex,” the letter reads. “Yet, many of these brave servicemembers have now been deployed on Capitol Hill for several days, and it seems that their living standards have declined rather than improved.”
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The letter itself demands “better living accommodations, safe and sanitary conditions, and full access to available amenities for the U.S. National Guard deployed to the U.S. Capitol Complex,” as well as a full explanation as to why guardsmen were ordered out of Capitol Complex buildings, and answers as to “how the National Guard will be accommodated during the remainder of their deployment and what role they will serve going forward.”
“Now that the inauguration is behind us, if there’s no additional security threat, these brave men and women should be allowed to return home to their families,” Hice said in a statement Monday. “If there remains a genuine need for the National Guard, it is imperative that we improve their conditions.”
Garcia, Hice, and all 33 of the House Republicans offered their offices to any guardsmen still deployed to the Capitol.
“Between the various buildings throughout the Capitol Complex and nearby hotels – not to mention the numerous military installations in the region – there is no excuse for soldiers to be forced into crowded and exhaust-filled garages or turned out into the dead of winter,” the letter reads.
The full letter can be read here.
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