Gov. Andrew Cuomo is sending an additional 542 members of the New York National Guard to Washington, DC to help provide security at the U.S. Capitol following a riot this month that killed 5 people. 

The members are in addition to the 1,000 or so guard members already in Washington earlier this month ahead of President Joe Biden's inauguration. 

"At the request of the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, I am deploying an additional 542 members of the New York National Guard to Washington D.C. to help protect our nation's Capitol," Cuomo said in a statement.

"Our federal government is facing a host of challenges unlike any in modern history, and it needs to be able to conduct its business safely for the sake of all Americans. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I thank the brave men and women in uniform for their heroism and their unwavering commitment to keeping our state and our nation safe."