A little more than 20 years ago, visitors could freely roam many of the U.S. Capitol hallways. After passing through a security checkpoint, you could take your time wandering through Statuary Hall, which used to be the House Chamber and now is the location of the largest collection of state-designated historical statues in the Capitol. You could learn the history of the building by visiting displays in the crypt, the room directly below the rotunda which was built to be the final resting place of President George Washington, who instead was buried at Mount Vernon. The rotunda itself was open to the public, with its grand paintings of key moments in American history highlighted by the Apotheosis of Washington adorning the ceiling 180 feet above the great hall.
That all changed following the shooting of two U.S. Capitol Police Officers in 1998 and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Capitol shut down after September 11, 2001, and when the building eventually reopened, security was significantly tightened. The public could still access the House and Senate office buildings on the Capitol campus, but access to the Capitol building itself was restricted to formal tours or official appointments only. You could no longer roam freely through much of the building. Several roads around the Capitol campus were closed to the public, and security barriers were installed on both Constitution Avenue and Independence Avenue, allowing those roads to be closed when necessary. That security posture has remained in place since then. The only significant change was the opening of the Capitol Visitors Center, which is a massive underground facility located below the east front of the Capitol. Visitors may freely enter that space where many historical artifacts are located, and you can learn the history of the building or sign up for a formal tour of the building itself. Even with that, access to the Capitol itself remains restricted.
The COVID-19 pandemic restricted access even further. Tours have been suspended, and access to office buildings has been by appointment only. At press time, the riot that took place on January 6 has turned the entire complex into a fortress. The Capitol building has often been described as the “fortress of democracy,” and right now, the entire complex is surrounded by metal fencing topped with concertina wire and guarded by thousands of National Guard troops. This was established after the riot in order to ensure that President Biden’s inauguration could commence safely and securely, which it did. Since the inauguration, the National Guard’s presence has lessened, but reports indicate that a few thousand troops will remain on site at least until the completion of the Senate’s impeachment trial of former President Trump, which at press time was just under way.
What does all of this mean for the convenience industry and NACS advocacy? Normally, during the first few months of a new Congress, NACS spends a great deal of time on Capitol Hill visiting with newly elected members and their staffs to introduce ourselves and our industry. With most congressional staff, and even some members of Congress, working from home either in the Washington, D.C., metro area or in their districts, that usual process is nearly impossible this year.
New congressional rules put in place earlier in the pandemic have allowed members to participate in committee work remotely, including questioning witnesses at hearings and voting in committee mark-ups. The House even took the dramatic step of allowing for proxy voting on the House floor for the first time in its history. The constitutionality of this move remains questionable, and a federal lawsuit against it, supported by House Republicans, has been filed, but the practice continues, and a growing number of Republican members have begun embracing the practice in the early days of the 117th Congress. U.S. Senators must still be physically present to cast votes on the Senate floor, though they can participate in committee work remotely.
With these methods in place, NACS has shifted its focus to virtual meetings. Meeting a new congressional member or staff member virtually is far from ideal but is proving effective in ensuring that these new members are familiar with our industry and the challenges retailers face on a day-to-day basis and, most importantly, what lawmakers can do about it. NACS will continue to set up these virtual meetings along with virtual town halls, which give convenience operators the opportunity to talk to legislators directly. We will also be conducting the 2021 NACS Day on the Hill virtually on March 23 and 24 because of the access restrictions in Washington.
We encourage you to reach out to your members of Congress, whether they are new to Capitol Hill or not, and seek to establish a relationship with them. Take some time to introduce yourself and your business and be a resource to members and their staff should questions arise that are relevant to our industry—and those questions will arise. If you can establish yourself as a resource for members and their teams now, you will be more effective when you need to seek their support or share your opposition to something in Congress later.
Once it is safe to do so, NACS will restart the successful NACS In Store program, where we bring members of Congress to stores to see operations firsthand, and we will resume face-to-face meetings in Washington. If you have any questions or would like assistance in setting up an introductory meeting with your congressional representatives, please do not hesitate to reach out to Jon Taets at [email protected].