WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on House Administration held a full committee hearing with Acting House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland. In case you missed it, here are some highlights:

Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) asked how setting a standardized process for when to put up the fence around the Capitol will depoliticize its use:

Chairman Steil: "The rapid response fence is a relatively new addition to the Capitol Security. You noted that it's not an end-all-be-all, but is there even a standardized policy for when to put up the fence?"

Mr. McFarland: "There is no standard policy for putting up the fence. I think we should have a process of determining whether a fence is needed, not necessarily a policy. I think it would take some time to draft a process specific enough to be useful and broad enough to allow our circumstances to work on what we're able to predict. At this time, we're looking at anything that we possibly can to help with this situation."

Chairman Steil: "Would that process provide us the ability to depoliticize the security decisions?"

Mr. McFarland: "I think that if we were to do that it would depoliticize this, and it would be based off of threat intelligence alone."

Click  here to watch Chairman Steil's questioning. 

Congressman Greg Murphy (NC-03) asked about improving morale within the House Sergeant at Arms' office:

Congressman Murphy: "How was morale when you came in to assume your position?"

Mr. McFarland: "It's been a long couple of three years with COVID and January 6th. I felt that the morale at the time when I came on board was at an all-time low.

"A lot of people saw some changes that they weren't comfortable with, and I think they wanted to see some change. That highlights what we're trying to do with our strategic plan of making our people first. I felt, even when I was with the Sergeant at Arms Office as the Director of House Security, that we needed to put people first and I just said, 'This is what we need to do and how we need to do it.'

"It did make some people very uncomfortable, but yet I think the people right now are looking at what we're trying to do and the fact that people are first, I think they're buying into that culture and that's what we wanted them to do."

Click  here to watch Congressman Murphy's questioning. 

Congressman Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) asked how the U.S. Capitol Police can learn from the House Sergeant at Arms' strategic plan to identify ways to improve the culture of the department:

Congressman Loudermilk: "As part of your job, you also sit on the Capitol Police Board. Can you express how these values can benefit both the Capitol Police Board as well as the U.S Capitol Police?"

Mr. McFarland: "The way I look at it is, right now my main focus is to get the [HSAA office] to buy into the culture of what we're doing here. I think with this format, it would be beneficial to the Capitol Police to actually incorporate some of the strategies as well. I've known of certain officers that are here that really like the whole idea of people first, putting the people first, talking to the rank-and-file officers. I think that's something that the Capitol Police could learn from, and I'm hoping that us sharing this with them, they might be able to take some of these ideas as well and put forth their own strategic plan."

Click  here to watch Congressman Loudermilk's questioning. 

Congressman Anthony D'Esposito (NY-04) asked about potential reforms to the U.S. Capitol Police Board moving forward:

Congressman D'Esposito: "I think we all agree that the Capitol Police needs effective oversight, but I think one of the issues that we're dealing with is the Capitol Police Board.
...
"At this point, after you're three months in this position, do you truly feel that the Capitol Police Board is working together for the best interest of the men and women who serve Capitol Hill?"

Mr. McFarland: "I do. I think there's much more improvement to come. What I'm focusing on right now, and I met with Chairman Steil when I first came on board, and one of the things that we talked about was Capitol Police reform, and I was all about it. After spending three months in the position and learning what the Capitol Police Board does, my focus right now is on governance, it's on transparency and accountability."

Click  here to watch Congressman D'Esposito's questioning. 

Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) asked how the office of the HSAA will ensure the Capitol is safe and accessible for visitors:

Congresswoman Laurel Lee: "One of the things you've identified is the experience for visitors in the Capitol complex and how you all might enhance or improve the experience for those who come here. Have you identified any areas where you think those improvements could be made?"

Mr. McFarland: "Just starting Monday, we've started a staff-only door for three areas in the House Office Buildings. We've taken a lot of feedback from Members' offices about how they can improve the lines of people coming into the building. I think that's one thing that we looked at and we said we can make it a little bit better. We're taking a look at other ways that we can accommodate the visitors that come into the Capitol Visitor Center. Everything's on the table right now. There's nothing that we're not going to leave unattended. We want to make sure we're doing everything we can for a greater experience for the people that come to the Hill."

Click  here to watch Congresswoman Lee's questioning.