Poll: Majority Support Fencing Around the U.S. Capitol

A majority of Americans support the fencing around the U.S. Capitol, a Politico/Morning Consult survey released Tuesday revealed.

The survey asked respondents about the fence that security officials constructed around the U.S. Capitol following the January 6 protest, noting the move has “restricted public access to Capitol grounds” and asking for their opinion.

A majority, or 55 percent, said it is “necessary for the Capitol to be protected so the security fence should remain even if this comes at the expense of public access to the Capitol.” Nearly one-third said public access to the Capitol is necessary, concluding the fence should be removed “even if this comes at the expense of Capitol security.” Thirteen percent expressed no opinion on the matter.

Opinions tend to drastically differ on party lines. Seventy-three percent of Democrats say the fence is necessary, followed by 51 percent of independents, and 31 percent of Republicans, the majority of whom say it is more necessary for the public to access the Capitol.

The survey, taken March 12-15, among 1,993 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/- 2 percent. It comes as security officials signal they will scale back the fencing, which has remained in place for weeks, in phases.

Acting House sergeant-at-arms Timothy Blodgett said in a memo this week that “there does not exist a known, credible threat” to justify the fence remaining in place as it has been for weeks.

Per the AP:

Members of Congress have described their unease at arriving for work each day in what can feel like a war zone, with checkpoints and National Guard troops lining the perimeter fence. The absence of tourists snapping photos of the Capitol dome or constituents meeting with representatives is an emotional loss on top of coronavirus restrictions, they said. The security perimeter extends far beyond the Capitol itself through neighboring parks and office buildings.

Lawmakers are also debating whether to launch a bipartisan commission to study the massive security failures that occurred Jan. 6 and how to respond to them long-term. Pelosi on Monday released a draft proposal for a commission that Republicans rejected last month, writing in a letter to colleagues that “we must get to the truth of how the January 6 assault happened, and we must ensure that it cannot happen again.”

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) is among GOP lawmakers who have called out Democrat hypocrisy for condoning a wall to protect themselves but not the American people.

“You protect what you love,” Boebert said in a recently released ad outside the U.S. Capitol. “President Trump built a big, beautiful wall because he loves America and he wanted to secure our country and protect us from drugs, illegal aliens pouring into our communities, and sex traffickers.”