U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi thanked National Guard troops guarding Washington and the U.S. Capitol as the House prepared to vote on whether to consider articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump one week after Trump supporters swarmed the Capitol.
“You are part of history,” Pelosi said to a few dozen members of the guard. “Our Capitol, our democracy, our constitution, are safe because of your patriotism.”
After addressing the soldiers, Pelosi gave them each a challenge coin with her signature as a token of appreciation for their work.
The Speaker then walked into Congress where the House began debating a single article of impeachment formally charging Trump with inciting insurrection in a speech shortly before the riot.
As many as 20,000 National Guard troops, included some armed members, have been ordered to Washington, D.C., to secure the city before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, with new fencing and other security measures engulfing the U.S. Capitol area.
(Production: Arlene Eiras, Joe Shaw)