A year after the January 6 Capitol insurrection, a Hill employee still surveys his workplace for objects he could use to defend himself.

“It’s unfortunate that we now have to take our own personal security into account, and I definitely have plans on what I can use in the office to fight my way out the next time…and there will be a next time,” the senior Democratic legislative staffer told Insider on the one-year anniversary of the insurrection. “I will not let those bastards scare me away from doing my job.” But the fear lingers.

“The people who work here know that the next time shit goes down, it’s everyone for themselves,” said another congressional aide, who told Insider they realized that the Capitol Police would primarily protect their bosses in an emergency. Staff, they said, “were hung out to dry.”…

Many staffers have departed the institution, with some telling Insider that the trauma from January 6 contributed to their decision. Those who remain say their resolve to serve their country and uphold Congress’ mission has never been stronger. But they see an institution fundamentally fractured by the events of last year, and their own relationship with their jobs forever changed.