The Associated Press said that the US Capitol Police have asked the National Guard to stay at the Congress headquarters for an additional two months, at a time when the White House confirmed the continuing threats of attacks by local extremists.
The leader of the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer, announced the cancellation of the House sessions scheduled for the rest of the week, due to security concerns in the vicinity of the Congress building.
Congressional police have revealed potential threats against members of Congress and the Capitol complex and are preparing to confront them.
She added that she had obtained intelligence about a possible plot to infiltrate the Capitol by a militia on March 4, and that she was taking it very seriously.
It confirmed that it had strengthened its security measures to include an increase in the number of security forces, and the police made clear that they could not provide additional details about these threats at the present time due to their sensitive nature.
This comes at a time when the White House confirmed that according to information from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, the threats that occurred on January 6, when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed Congress, have not yet ended.
The general manager of YouTube also said that the shutdown of Congress today, Thursday, shows that the risk of violence remains high, and indicated that the ban on Trump's channel will be lifted when there is a decrease in the risks of violence.
The US site Axios had reported that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security expected an increase in attacks by local extremists during the current year, and revealed a plan that was targeting Congress on Thursday, which prompted the suspension of its sessions.
According to a joint report seen by Axios, extremist groups - which have not been named - have reviewed plans to take control of the Congress building and dismiss Democratic representatives today or soon.
Closing Congress on Thursday shows that the risk of violence is still high. (French)
The report pointed out that extremist groups threatened to use explosives to kill as many members of Congress as possible during the State of the Union speech.
The report also described government and law enforcement agencies as potential targets for extremist groups who might exploit public gatherings to engage in violence.
The report indicated that allegations of fraud during the recent presidential elections and other conspiracy theories related to the presidential transition period are the reason behind the movement of these groups.
For her part, US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that postponing the vote on sessions scheduled for today in the House seems feasible due to the presence of rioters in the vicinity of the venue.
Pelosi added that the National Guard must be kept in the vicinity of Congress as long as needed, considering that the decision to remain in the hands of the security authorities.