Skip to main content

Following White House Breach, Norton Asks for Meeting with Secret Service Director

September 22, 2014

Says least restrictive means should be used to address security concerns

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) released a letter Norton sent today asking for a meeting with U.S. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson to discuss recent security breaches at the White House. Norton is concerned about the call for action before an investigation reveals what, if any, action is necessary. She said if changes that alter public access at the White House prove necessary, then they "should be in line with current public access to the areas surrounding the White House and maintain the current views of this historic and national landmark."

"Before any action is taken, the first step must be to conduct a full and thorough investigation into the White House breach," Norton said. "The next step is to recognize that the area in front of the White House, including Lafayette Park, is a First Amendment area, which must not be taken away from District of Columbia residents and the millions of other Americans who visit each year."

Following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Secret Service attempted to close the entire area around the White House to public access. This included E Street to the South of the White House. Norton worked with the White House and the National Park Service to construct a road sufficiently far enough so as to not endanger the White House, but to maintain the access by cars across E Street. However, the road was summarily closed down after 9/11 and the Secret Service has since found no way to reopen this road.

Norton's letter follows:


September 22, 2014

Julia Pierson

Director

U.S. Secret Service

245 Murray Drive

Building 410

Washington, DC 20223

Dear Director Pierson:

We were concerned to hear that on Friday evening a man carrying a knife was able to jump over the fence in front of the White House and run into the front door of the White House and that on Saturday a man was apprehended after he drove up to a White House gate and refused to leave. We agree with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson that we "should not rush to judgment … until all the facts are in." We insist that the first step surely must be to investigate the causes of the breach that allowed the man to climb the fence and make it so far into the White House before reaching the conclusion that Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House or the area streets and parks should be off-limits to the public. We fully appreciate that your primary mission is to protect the President, but I am writing to ensure that the least restrictive means be used to address these security concerns.

It is important to keep Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House and the surrounding area, including Lafayette Park, Pennsylvania Avenue, 17th Street and 15th Street, as accessible to the public as possible. These are First Amendment protected areas used by the public on a daily basis to both see the residence of the President and engage in their constitutional right to petition the government, and must be kept open for their continued daily use. It is particularly imperative that the Pennsylvania Avenue side remain open to the public.

After the Oklahoma City bombing, the Secret Service closed both the E Street side and Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House. I worked with the White House and secured the re-opening of E Street after changes were made to widen the road to make it further away from the White House. However, this road was summarily closed down after 9/11, and I regret that the Secret Service has found no way to protect the President while re-opening this vital cross-street. Although E Street has not been reopened, construction of parks south of the White House that would permanently close E Street should not occur until there is a traffic management plan in place.

Already, public access to the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House may be in danger with reported considerations of establishing checkpoints or otherwise limiting access. Yet it appears that existing procedures for the specialized canine units were not fully used and it is not clear that personnel could not have responded more quickly to the breaches of the White House perimeter. Therefore, we are requesting that the Secret Service do an investigation into the causes of the security breaches before any action is taken. We are very concerned that you are looking for possible remedies before doing an investigation. The public must be assured that limiting access or physical changes to the area are necessary, and so far that case has not been made.

If, however, you are able to establish that physical changes are necessary, those changes should be in line with current public access to the areas surrounding the White House and maintain the current views of this historic and national landmark. With this in mind, and if the investigation calls for changes, certain minor changes could perhaps be made, including: changing the shape of the current fence to prevent access from the exterior, such as curving the upper portion of the fence away from the White House; making the fence surrounding the White House taller; making a request for additional funding to increase staffing; or adding additional specialized canine units to patrol the perimeter

We ask that you call my office so that we may have the opportunity to sit down and discuss this issue.

Sincerely,

Eleanor Holmes Norton