McCarthy says House Republicans will 'fully re-open' U.S. Capitol to the public

GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy this week said the Republican-controlled House of Representatives next year will move to re-open the U.S. Capitol to the public after several years of restrictions under Democratic leadership. 

"One of the first orders of business under your new House Republican majority [will be to f]ully re-open the U.S. Capitol to the public," McCarthy wrote on Twitter this week.

The GOP won control of the House following the 2022 midterm elections, which saw Democrats retain control of the U.S. Senate.

The public has been largely restricted from the U.S. Capitol since early 2020 when officials began clamping down on public functions including tours and congressional observations as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following McCarthy's calls earlier this month to fully re-open the Capitol, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office issued a statement rebuking the Republican politician's plan.

"Under Speaker Pelosi's thoughtful and deliberate leadership, the Capitol Complex has long been on a path to normal: with common-sense, science-based steps to reopen while keeping everyone in our community safe," the statement argued.