National Guard protection at the US Capitol cost taxpayers nearly $500 million

• It cost nearly $500 million to deploy about 26,000 National Guard troops to secure the US Capitol.
• That cost includes transporting troops to Washington, DC, and their salaries and benefits.

The cost of deploying about 26,000 National Guard troops to secure the US Capitol in the wake of the deadly January 6 riot is nearly $500 million, US military officials said Thursday.

The deployment brought troops in from all 50 states and four territories as law-enforcement agencies tried to lock down the Capitol for the inauguration of the President Joe Biden. Thousands of Guard members poured into the nation's capital and were stationed across the city to block traffic and protect lawmakers and landmarks.

Officials said the nearly $500 million includes the costs of transporting Guard troops from their states to Washington, their salaries and benefits, as well as housing and other essentials. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss internal figures and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Because the troops were activated by the federal government for more than 30 days, their health benefits are also covered, adding to the price of the deployment. The National Guard last week mandated that the troops who were activated would be allowed to use their active-duty time for Post 9/11 GI Bill educational benefits. The educational benefits for National Guard soldiers and airmen are based on a percentage of how much active-duty time they served.

National Guard troops were also mobilized to provide security in their respective state capitals. The 1,000 California National Guard troops who deployed to protect the Capitol in Sacramento cost the state $3.4 million, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.

Officials say the money is expected to cover the costs of the Guard through mid-March, when the troops are expected to leave. Between 5,000 and 7,000 troops are scheduled to stay in Washington through March 14.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a terrorism bulletin warning about possible additional violence.