State

Illinois National Guard still awaiting Capitol security reimbursement

Officials say the Illinois National Guard will have to cut training and force time off if Congress doesn’t act quickly to reimburse it for providing security after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol

By The Associated Press

In this file photo from Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, National Guard troops reinforce security around the U.S. Capitol in Washington, ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. The Guard mission is ending as Democrats and Republicans spar over whether to form an independent bipartisan commission to investigate the attack that sought to overturn then-President Donald Trump's loss to Joe Biden. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file) (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois National Guard will have to cut training and force time off if not reimbursed for providing security to the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 attack, Gov. JB Pritzker said Tuesday.

Hundreds of members of the Illinois Guard were deployed to Washington, D.C., following the attack by a throng protesting the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Pritzker said if the U.S. Senate does not quickly consider legislation for reimbursement, the state Guard will have to reduce exercises and weekend training and implement service member furloughs.

The governor's office did not respond to a request for the amount owed Illinois.

“Even as the events of Jan. 6 were still unfolding, heroes from across the nation fearlessly mobilized in defense of their country, and every day that our debts to them go unpaid is an insult to their service,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Congress needs to act with urgency to not only protect the integrity of our National Guard but to do everything possible to prevent another Jan. 6."

In all, 25,000 Guard members from around the U.S. provided security after the Capitol attack. Some stayed until the end of May to provide backup to local law enforcement.

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