The Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton on Wednesday said that repairs and security expenses related to the Jan. 6 insurrection have already cost more than $30 million.
The state of play: Congressional appropriations committees have allocated the $30 million for repairs and perimeter fencing around the Capitol building through March 31, per NPR.
- But Blanton notes that more funding will be needed, stating, "[P]roject costs for replacements and repairs beyond in-kind improvements across campus will be considerable and beyond the scope of the current budgetary environment."
What they're saying: The Architect of the Capitol told Congress that his team was actively preparing for the inauguration when the riots began at the Capitol.
- "Over the course of a couple of hours, the hard work of our team was destroyed."
- "The [Inauguration] platform was wrecked, there was broken glass and other debris, sound systems and photography equipment was damaged beyond repair or stolen, two historic Olmsted lanterns were ripped from the ground, and the wet blue paint was tracked all over the historic stone balustrades and Capitol Building hallways."
What to watch: Blanton asked the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday to approve funding for a campus-wide security assessment to prevent similar situations in the future.
