Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar lays out heightened Capitol security ahead of Jan. 6 and inauguration

Four years after rioters caused destruction at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill is better equipped to handle any threats to the certification of the 2024 election results or the inauguration, according to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the leading Democrat on the U.S. Senate Rules Committee.

Congress will certify the election results this year on the same date as in 2021, Jan. 6. Two weeks later, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance will be sworn into office on Jan. 20.

“None of this would be possible without the officers who stand in defense of the Capitol every day and who have risen to the occasion as various threats have confronted members of Congress at the Capitol and beyond,” Klobuchar said at a December meeting of the committee.

Since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, a new Capitol police chief was hired and new leadership put in place for the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms. Oversight hearings examined what happened that day, which Klobuchar helped lead as chair of the Rules Committee. And the committee released a report on security failures and outlined recommendations for the future.

When rioters stormed the building four years ago, Capitol Police were unable to get immediate help from the National Guard because they first needed approval from the Capitol Police Board. Now, the Capitol Police chief is able to request assistance directly from the National Guard during emergency situations.

The Capitol Police also has beefed up its force from 1,842 officers to 2,202 on duty and created a civil disturbance unit with six platoons and over 225 officers.

They also now all have riot gear.

“Only 25 percent of officers had access to riot gear on Jan. 6, something we will never forget, locked on a bus. Now, every officer has this equipment,” Klobuchar said at the hearing.

The Electoral Count Reform Act is now in effect and makes it harder to contest a state’s electoral votes during the Jan. 6 certification. In the past, one member in the House and one in the Senate could challenge electoral votes that day. The new law, which Klobuchar co-sponsored, raises that threshold to one-fifth of each chamber.

Through her role on the committee, Klobuchar will take part in leading the procession of senators to the House chamber Jan. 6 and join Congress in counting Electoral College votes. Klobuchar also chairs the bipartisan Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is tasked with planning inauguration day.

“I know work is well underway to prepare for the events that will take place at the Capitol, the joint session of Congress to certify the results of the election on Jan. 6 ... and also, of course, the inauguration,” Klobuchar said. “Both events have been designated as national special security events, which will provide federal agency resources to support the Capitol Police.”