Capitol hunkers down ahead of Netanyahu speech

Much of the Capitol campus will be closed to the public on Wednesday as thousands of people are expected to descend on the Hill to protest a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Capitol Visitor Center and Library of Congress will be closed to tourists, and the U.S. Botanic Garden will shutter, right as plant lovers are enjoying the bloom of its iconic corpse flowers. U.S. Capitol Police are bracing for large-scale demonstrations.

“For safety reasons, we never provide specific security details, but generally we can say that our plan includes adding more officers — including from several outside agencies — continuing our robust intelligence sharing with our partners, and ensuring that we have enough resources for our teams,” a Capitol Police spokesperson said. 

The department had already “been operating in a heightened threat environment for several months” and had been working with “federal, state and local partners” ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, according to the spokesperson. Netanyahu was invited to address Congress by House and Senate leadership in May, to the chagrin of many progressive Democrats and activists.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza was launched after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that left more than 1,100 dead and hundreds held hostage. In the months since, Israel’s military has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry. 

The conflict has drawn condemnation from the international community, driven a wedge in the Democratic Party, and prompted a drumbeat of protests in and around the Capitol since last October that could crescendo Wednesday with Netanyahu’s appearance.

On Tuesday night, members of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and families of Israeli hostages will gather near the Capitol to call on Netanyahu to bring their loved ones home. On Wednesday morning, Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of religious denominations and organizations, will host a prayer vigil near the Capitol. That afternoon, several groups have announced plans to protest Netanyahu’s speech, which is scheduled for 2 p.m.

CODEPINK, a group that has been omnipresent in Capitol office buildings since the outset of the war, said it would join others in attempting to “surround” the Capitol and issue a notice of “citizen’s arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu for crimes against humanity.”

“A visit by Netanyahu to Congress and the US confirms something we already knew: the United States of America financially and morally supports the slaughter of Palestinians happening in Gaza,” Nour Jaghama, CODEPINK’s Palestine Campaign Coordinator, said in a statement.

An organizer for Congressional Staff for a Ceasefire Now, an underground group of Hill aides, confirmed the group would hold a “demonstration this week in protest of Netanyahu’s congressional PR stunt.”

Democratic lawmakers have mostly been mum on their exact plans for Wednesday, although there’s been talk of boycotts, counterprogramming and demonstrations from within the chamber. Some have already said they won’t attend the speech, including Democratic Sens. Patty Murray of Washington and Brian Schatz of Hawaii and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

“Netanyahu should not be welcomed into the United States Congress. On the contrary, his policies in Gaza and the West Bank and his refusal to support a two-state solution should be roundly condemned,” Sanders said in a statement. 

Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus who has called for a cease-fire, said he “probably won’t go” but wasn’t sure how many other House Democrats would ultimately boycott. More than 50 Democrats elected not to attend the last time Netanyahu visited Congress in 2015.

Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, issued a drastic threat to members who would disrupt Netanyahu’s speech. 

“There are a number of Democrats in the House who have said they’re going to boycott the event. And then some others are going to protest,” the speaker said at an event organized by the Republican Jewish Coalition during last week’s Republican National Convention. “We’re going to have extra sergeants-at-arms on the floor. If anybody gets out of hand … we’re going to arrest people if we have to do it.”

His office declined to comment on Monday when asked whether he stood by the statement.

A dear colleague letter circulated on Friday by House Sergeant-at-Arms William P. McFarland and obtained by Roll Call said law enforcement expects “significant demonstration activity throughout the day” and that the Architect of the Capitol would erect anti-scale fencing “similar to the most recent State of the Union address.” 

The Metropolitan Police announced parking restrictions near the Capitol campus between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Wednesday and said people should expect “intermittent street closures and traffic delays.” 

‘I’m always concerned about safety’

Netanyahu’s address to Congress comes at a fraught time for American politics. It’s been a little over a week since a gunman attempted to assassinate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. And President Joe Biden, the presumed Democratic nominee, dropped out of the race Sunday after weeks of mounting pressure.

One senior Republican aide, who was granted anonymity because he’s not authorized to speak to the press, said there would be a “palpable buzz” on the Hill but was confident the Capitol Police and sergeant-at-arms would “ensure the safety of the Capitol campus.”  

“However, I think it’s ironic that most of the angst around security is from Democrat staffers, right after their bosses voted against the Leg Branch approps bill that would fund both USCP and SAA,” the aide said, referring to legislation that includes funding for agencies responsible for congressional security. The fiscal 2025 Legislative Branch spending bill fell short on the House floor earlier this month.

For others, the confluence of events leading up to Netanyahu’s visit has them on edge.

“There are still many staffers that currently work on the Hill that were here on Jan. 6,” said a senior Democratic staffer, citing the 2021 mob attack that aimed to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s presidential election win. “Any day that brings heightened security to Capitol Hill, whether it be the president coming or other foreign dignitaries, there is always some uneasy feelings about safety.” 

While he’d heard chatter of offices asking their staff to work remotely the day of the speech, he said he didn’t know of any that had formally made the request.

“Particularly around the Israel/Palestine issues, there have been more reasons for staffers to consider their own safety, especially as outside groups have come into the Capitol and accosted staffers and members as they move throughout the buildings,” he said. 

Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, a Virginia Democrat, wouldn’t confirm on Monday whether he’d be in the chamber during Netanyahu’s address. Asked about security, he nodded to fears about keeping staffers and lawmakers safe.  

“I’m always concerned about security,” said Connolly, whose district office was attacked last year by a bat-wielding constituent.

“Obviously listening to this, we should all be worried about safety,” Florida Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz said Monday as he stepped out of a hearing room in the Rayburn Building. Inside, members of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee were grilling Secret Service Director Kimberly A. Cheatle over security breaches at the Pennsylvania rally that led to the attempt on Trump’s life. 

“That being said, I think Capitol Police and everyone right now has a heightened sense of security based on the failures that went on just a week ago,” Moskowitz said.