NewsU.S. and the World

Actions

House and Senate sergeants at arm resign following Capitol riot

APTOPIX Congress Electoral College
Posted at 6:42 PM, Jan 07, 2021
and last updated 2021-01-07 20:53:18-05

Following the worst security breach at the US Capitol in nearly two centuries on Wednesday, both the House and Senate sergeants at arms resigned.

After calls for this resignation by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving stepped down. Later on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that its Sergeant at Arms Michael Stenger also quit. He too faced pressure from Senate leaders following Wednesday’s riots.

House and Senate leaders said that there will be an investigation into Wednesday’s failure of law enforcement to control the mob of pro-Trump supporters from entering the Capitol and disrupting Congress. The riot caused the counting of Electoral College votes to halt.

Their departures are in addition to the resignation of Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund.