Four Congressional Federal Credit Union branches at the U.S. Capitol will remain closed on Thursday following an historic day when armed supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol to protest a joint session of the House and Senate intended to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
John Kirlew, vice president of marketing and communications at the $1.1 billion-asset institution, said the credit union’s branches in the Longworth and Rayburn office buildings had been closed and were under lockdown for several hours Wednesday. Two other facilities near the Capitol were also closed, though another location in Oakton, Va., remained open.
“We have our Capitol branches down the hall from the House chamber where [the representatives] met, so we had to close,” Kirlew said Wednesday afternoon while events were still unfolding. “We take all of our directions and all of our guidance from the Capitol police who have jurisdiction over the building. They required us to close our Capitol building branch earlier today and then we basically staggered the rest of them closed.”
Credit union staff in the Longworth and Rayburn branches were being told to shelter in place until Capitol police determined they could leave safely and securely, but Kirlew said at the time it was unclear when that would be. Kirlew did not know exactly how many staff members were still inside the branches.
As with most credit unions, many of Congressional FCU’s employees have been working remotely because of the pandemic, but Kirlew said since a new Congress was in session with new members, those facilities were being staffed in order to serve lawmakers.
“Tensions are high, but everyone feels comfortable and everyone feels secure,” he said. “I think just overall a big concern probably for us will be as staff is going home, making sure everyone gets home safely.”
Normal operations are expected to resume on Friday, though at some branches members without a House of Representatives ID badge will be required to sign in with Capitol police.
U.S. Senate Federal Credit Union also has facilities on the Capitol grounds, but officials there declined to comment for this story. A notice on the credit union's website said its Hart branch would remain closed through the week but planned to reopen on Jan. 11.
In the aftermath of the events, credit union trade groups and
Jim Nussle, president and CEO of the Credit Union National Association – as well as a former member of Congress and a member of the George W. Bush administration – called the protests “outrageous, without precedent [and] counter to our values as Americans.”
He added, “I am confident that the foundation of our democracy is strong, having withstood multiple tests to our national character. This moment cannot be lost on us and presents an opportunity for us to do better and be better.”
Dan Berger, president and CEO of the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions, called the mob’s actions an attack against “the foundations of our democracy” and “a sad moment for our country,” and pledged the group’s commitment to working toward “changes for a brighter future.”
Credit union trade groups frequently fund candidates on both sides of the aisle, and some of the key Congressional players contesting the election results have been
This story was updated at 8:20 P.M. on Jan. 6, 2021.
