House Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Livingood is warning Members and staff about budget-related demonstrations at their district offices starting Thursday, according to an e-mail obtained by Roll Call.
“The U.S. Capitol Police have been made aware of the possibility of demonstration activities at Congressional district offices... continuing through the end of the week,” Livingood wrote in a Thursday morning e-mail to all Members and staff. “It is believed that the intention of these demonstrations is to raise awareness of budget issues.”
After the January shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), Congressional security officials advised Members to designate a district staffer as the office’s law enforcement coordinator.
Though Livingood said there is “no indication of violence in connection with these demonstration activities,” he suggested the law enforcement coordinator call local police if they notice suspicious activity or have any safety concerns.
The warning comes after six anti-abortion protesters were arrested at Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) personal office in Longworth House Office Building on Wednesday.
Thursday night, a protest is planned at Harvard University, where Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is scheduled to address faculty and students.
Community groups and students from Harvard, Wellesley College, Yale University, Dartmouth University, Columbia University and the New School said they will protest House Republicans’ plan to cut $1.5 billion from global health programs in their proposed fiscal 2011 budget, including more than $800 million from AIDS programs.
Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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