Republicans Call on Pelosi to Remove ‘Military-Style Fencing’ Around Capitol

Riot fencing and razor wire reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill, in Washington, on Jan. 23, 2021. Eileen Putman/AP Photo

Forty-two House Republicans have sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) urging her to remove the barricades surrounding the Capitol in Washington, erected in the days after the building was stormed on Jan. 6.

Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), the primary signatory of the letter (pdf), said in a statement that the request is for Pelosi to remove what some fear is poised to become “permanent military-style fencing around the Capitol.”