Pelosi thanks armed National Guard troops deployed to Capitol
As procedural votes were underway in the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi went outside the Capitol to thank the National Guard troops deployed to the complex in the wake of last week's riot and ahead of Biden's inauguration in one week.
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Some National Guard members inside the Capitol were spotted taking in the sights of the Rotunda Wednesday morning, gathering around and listening to Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., an Army veteran who lost both legs in Afghanistan.
The Capitol has been closed to tours for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. With the exception of last Wednesday's attack, this is one of the few times visitors have snapped photos inside the building during the pandemic -- finding themselves with unique access as they've been designated to protect the building and lawmakers.
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As lawmakers arrived on the Hill ahead of the House gaveling in to consider Trump's second impeachment, a heavy National Guard presence greeted them both outside and inside the building -- with some resting, embracing their rifles, on the floor of the Capitol.
Jane Campbell, the president and CEO of the United States Capitol Historical Society, confirmed to ABC News that troops have not been quartered in the Capitol since the Civil War -- when the Rotunda was still under construction, and the open-air space was used as a field hospital.
A Defense official said the National Guard members seen sleeping at the Capitol are on breaks and noted that it’s not uncommon on domestic or overseas deployments to see members taking breaks in between long shifts.
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There are currently 6,600 members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. with more continuing to flow in. A Defense official said Wednesday afternoon that the National Guard has now been authorized to have up to 20,000 Guardsmen in Washington for inauguration security and that most may be in town by this weekend.
-ABC News Luis Martinez and Benjamin Siegel