WASHINGTON — Threats to members of Congress have nearly doubled in the first two months of this year compared to the same time period last year, according to the acting head of the U.S. Capitol Police.
In testimony prepared for a Wednesday House hearing, acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said there has been a 94% increase in threats to lawmakers in January and February.
A “significant focus” for Capitol Police in the next fiscal year “is centered on member security” outside Washington, Pittman plans to say in a Wednesday hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.
Pittman will also outline other security needs at the Capitol and its surrounding buildings, saying the Jan. 6 attack by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters shows that “the level of existential threats to the U.S. Capitol and grounds are increasing as well.
