After the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill that left five dead, including a Capitol Hill police officer, thousand of National Guardsmen from around the country were deployed as security to Washington D.C. ahead of the presidential inauguration ceremony.
Photos of the troops sleeping on the floor of the Capitol quickly garnered harsh reactions from the internet and cots were quickly provided to remedy the situation. But if that wasn’t bad enough, new photos emerged of the Guardsmen resting on the cold hard floors of a nearby parking garage where they were told they now had to take their breaks.
The Guardsmen had initially been taking breaks from their 12-hour shifts inside the Capitol building, but were told to clear out of the Dirksen senate building on the day of the inauguration and relocate to the parking garage. This came after several congressmen and senators first took the opportunity to snap pictures of themselves shaking hands and thanking the service members. Of the encounter with lawmakers, one Guardsman shared:
“Within 24 hours, they had no further use for us and banished us to the corner of a parking garage. We feel incredibly betrayed.”
Republican Congressman Madison Cawthorn from North Carolina was appalled when he heard of how the service members were being treated. In a statement to FOX NEWS on Friday, the Freshman Congressman said:
“The men and women who put their lives on the line to defend our liberties deserve to be treated with honor, dignity, and respect. We rest easy at night knowing that they stand guard at the door of Democracy.”
To show his appreciation, Cawthorn personally delivered pizzas to the troops in garage late Thursday night. He Tweeted a video of he and his staff handing out the pizzas and being received with a very warm welcome by the troops (language warning):
I just visited the solders who have been abandoned & insulted by our leaders. I brought them pizza and told them that they can sleep in my office.
No soldier will ever, ever sleep on a garage floor in the US Capitol while I work in Congress
Our Troops deserve better. pic.twitter.com/4attFqhRRJ
— Madison Cawthorn (@CawthornforNC) January 22, 2021
In his interview with Fox, Rep. Cawthorn continued:
“No soldier ought to be treated as expendable, or used as a political prop to be cast aside when the cameras leave the room.” Last night, I heard that our National Guard troops had been relegated to the underbelly of the peoples’ house. I instantly called my staff, ordered as many pizzas as we could carry, and we headed out to thank them for their service.”
Since Rep. Cawthorn’s act of kindness, the troops have been relocated out of the garage and into a more suitable and respectable facility.
This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.
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