Capitol Police Prepare for Upcoming State of the Union Address

Preparations are underway as U.S. Capitol Police begin set up for the State of the Union Address tomorrow. In a statement, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said the decision to install a fence around the Capitol grounds was made in conjunction with the U.S. Secret Service. The event is a ‘National Special Security Event’ and the Secret Service is in charge of planning. Manger said ‘I have also requested support from outside law enforcement agencies as well as the National Guard to assist with our security precautions.’ Capitol Police have also announced several road closures ahead of the event.

Face coverings are now optional for President Biden’s State of the Union Address as Congress is lifting it’s mask requirement on the House floor after federal regulators eased guidelines last week. Congress’ Office of the Attending Physician announced the change yesterday, lifting the requirement that has been in place for much of the past two years and had become a partisan flashpoint on Capitol hill. According to new metrics by the CDC, the nation’s capital is in an area considered low risk.