Ramping up security measures…
The Department of Homeland Security has designated the Jan. 6, 2025, vote certification an event worthy of Secret Service planning and protection.
According to reports from The Hill, officially designating the Jan. 6 counting as a “national security special event” puts the Secret Service in charge of security planning, just as it does for the Super Bowl and both parties' political conventions.
“National Special Security Events are events of the highest national significance,” Eric Ranaghan, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service's Dignitary Protective Division, said in a release.
“The U.S. Secret Service, in collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners are committed to developing and implementing a comprehensive and integrated security plan to ensure the safety and security of this event and its participants.”
Capitol Police will also be involved in security planning and preparations, and unlike in the lead-up to the 2021 counting, the police chief can now directly request National Guard assistance.
The USSS confirmed the security measures in an email to Fox News Digital. The agency released a statement on Wednesday noting that Jan. 6, 2025, has been “designated a National Special Security Event by the Secretary of Homeland Security.”
“This designation allows for significant resources from the federal government, as well as from state and local partners, to be utilized in a comprehensive security plan,” officials said in a statement. “When an event is designated a National Special Security Event, the U.S. Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan.”
An Executive Steering Committee, which will consist of “senior representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement and public safety partners,” will convene to start the formal planning process.
The increase in security measures comes as a direct response to the 2021 Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, in which thousands of supporters of former President Trump stormed the Capitol to protest against the Electoral College vote count for Joe Biden.
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