Armed Services Committee says National Guard no longer needed at Capitol as costs mount

The top Democrat and top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee said they want to see National Guard troops protecting the U.S. Capitol "return home to their families."

"As the U.S. Capitol Police continues to build its personnel capacity, there is no doubt that some level of support from the National Guard should remain in the National Capital Region to respond to credible threats against the Capitol," Smith and Rogers said. "We appreciate our guardsmen answering the call to protect the Capitol, but it’s time for us to review what level of security is required, so they can return home to their families and communities." Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin overruled the chief of the National Guard Bureau with the decision to keep 2,280 National Guard troops at the U.S. Capitol, Fox News Channel reported exclusively on Thursday.