Investigation of National Guard Relocation to Parking Garages

Washington, D.C. – Congressmen Steven Palazzo (MS-04), Trent Kelly (MS-01), and Michael Guest (MS-03) have sent a letter addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressing their deep concern about the way members of the National Guard were treated during their deployment to the nation’s capital. Specifically, the letter seeks an understanding as to why guardsmen were removed from the Capitol complex and ordered to set up camp in a nearby parking garage.

A signed copy of the letter can be found here. Full text of the letter is included below.

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

We write to express our concern about the recent treatment of some members of the National Guard assigned to the United States Capitol complex and ask for an investigation into this matter. 

We understand that Guardsmen were asked to leave the Capitol last week and were relegated to taking breaks and sleeping in parking garages. While we are pleased that the National Guard was ordered back to the Capitol and other Congressional office buildings, we are concerned about this initial directive to leave the complex, putting our men and women who have bravely protected our nation’s capital in unsuitable and disrespectful conditions.

We ask that an investigation be conducted to determine how and why the decision was made to remove Guardsmen from the Capitol complex and who ordered their removal. The National Guard has honorably served our nation with this crucial assignment, and it is imperative that we address these concerns to ensure accountability. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Steven Palazzo
Member of Congress

Trent Kelly
Member of Congress

Michael Guest
Member of Congress