The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved the nomination of Charles “Chuck” Sams III as National Park Service director, which will make him the first Native American to lead the agency that oversees more than 131,000 square miles of parks and other landmarks.

Democratic lawmakers want answers about the clubbing, punching and other force deployed by some Park Police in routing protesters from the front of the White House on Monday. Bernhardt in the letter took responsibility for asking for the National Guard deployment at federal monuments in the Washington protests. White House officials and others in the administration had pinned the decision on Barr. The White House and the Park Police have emphatically denied that tear gas was used to clear the demonstrators Monday. Theres millions of people who come to the White House every year, Thomas said of the protest space.