"On January 6, 2021, Americans and the world witnessed a mob ransack the US Capitol, the 'People's House,' as the US Congress attempted to carry out a basic function of democracy, the certification of an election and the peaceful transfer of power. While this attack was unprecedented in its scale, threats to the Capitol are not new; and since the 1990s have included a crazed lone gunman, the attempted Al-Qaeda attack of 9/11, and bioterrorism in the form of anthrax. In addition, time and the weather have taken their toll on ...
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"On January 6, 2021, Americans and the world witnessed a mob ransack the US Capitol, the 'People's House,' as the US Congress attempted to carry out a basic function of democracy, the certification of an election and the peaceful transfer of power. While this attack was unprecedented in its scale, threats to the Capitol are not new; and since the 1990s have included a crazed lone gunman, the attempted Al-Qaeda attack of 9/11, and bioterrorism in the form of anthrax. In addition, time and the weather have taken their toll on the building itself, as Congress chronically does not appropriate enough funds for the Capitol's preservation. The job of sustaining the Capitol building and grounds -- as well as the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court -- falls to the Architect of the Capitol, who also supervises the Capitol police with the sergeant at arms of the House and the Senate. As the steward of the People's House, the Architect must balance security for the building and members with access by the public. As the 10th Architect of the Capitol, Alan Hantman oversaw the largest development of the Capitol in more than a century, the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center. This book describes the struggle to build the CVC, along with Hantman's negotiations with members of Congress for the funds to repair the Capitol dome and balance security with openness. Hantman was eye witness to some unforgettable scenes with new resonances after January 6th: Al Gore presiding over the certification of his own defeat in January 2001; the shooter who breached the Capitol in 1998 and murdered two police officers; and the evacuation of the Capitol on 9/11 as a hijacked plan approached. This book will be of interest to anyone who, after the tragic events of Jan 6, wants to know more about how the Capitol works a physical space; who runs it, how and why decisions are made about the security of the Capitol and the people who work there; and how politicians think about the Capitol Building"
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