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American Morning

America Strikes Back: U.S. Capitol Has Increased Security

Aired October 09, 2001 - 09:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That debate about that stimulus package take place in United States capital, but have some increased security these days, because of the risk, the fear, of more terrorist strikes in the United States.

And for more on that, we're joined by CNN's congressional correspondent Kate Snow -- Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, the security increasing has actually been physically noticeable. It's noticeable if you walk around this place at all since September 11th. There are many more Capitol Police officers on duty. Most of them, if not all of them, are working at least 12-hour shifts right now. Some of them pulling double duty as well. There are physical things changing, too. Just one small point, there are no garbage can out here anymore on the Capitol grounds. That is on purpose.

There are other physical improvements as well. Inside the building, they are now putting a mylar coating. See, and it looks like a film. They're putting it on all the windows, teams of three, about 50 people in all, going from office to office, room to room, putting this coating on the windows. Why? Because it is shatter- resistant, it will make these windows more shatter-proof, and in fact, it is that kind of coating, or one similar, that was used on the Pentagon building, and we are told that it saved a lot of lives on September 11th. It saved people from shattered glass flying at them. It is a $12 million project to put that sheet up on every window, part of a broader effort to increase security at what is called the people's house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN NICHOLS, U.S. CAPITOL POLICE: Our standard of what is normal, what's considered normal, has changed. Normal is not what it was on September 10th, and now we're going to have to re-evaluate, find what our new standard of normal security is, and that's what we're in the process of doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNOW: Now the total cost of this overall project, at least initially, is $86 million. That window effort just a part of that, and some of that is spent on overtime for Capitol Police officers. Other money being spent on new barricades that are being erected. There is quite a complicated system now. If you drive a car in, you see bomb-sniffing dogs going around some cars. They have mirrors that police officers are now using. You see one looking underneath the cage of the vehicle to see if there's anything underneath there that shouldn't be there. There are also three streets around the Capitol buildings that have been closed to traffic. We're told that those are temporary for now, but could potentially become permanent road closures. They do not plan on closing, though, the main major arteries to avenues, Constitution and Independence, that run right by the U.S. Capitol.

One important point, John, tourist, joggers, bikers, anyone wants to come through the area you see right behind me is generally allowed to do so. Only when someone important is visiting might shut down this area, but generally speaking, tourist are still very much welcome here at the U.S. Capitol. Lawmakers really want to make that point, and make sure Americans know they can still visit here, and it is still safe -- John.

KING: And, Kate, while officials in Florida continue to say they hope and anticipate that the case of anthrax in that state is an isolated incident, it has raised the specter and the questions about the vulnerability of key installations to chemical and biological attacks. Is that concern at the Capitol as well?

SNOW: It is a concern as well, and clearly, something they don't tell us very much about, but they have been looking at. Sources do tell CNN that at one point after the September 11th attacks, one thing that they looked at here at the Capitol was two air intake ducts that bring fresh air from outside into the Capitol building itself. There was some concern by security official that those ducts were a little bit vulnerable, that perhaps someone with bad intentions might be able to get up close to those air intake ducts, so those have now been, according to our sources, secured.

John, back to you.

KING: Extraordinary measures in extraordinary times.

Kate Snow at the Capitol, thank you very much for that.

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