A bill that would ban the federal government from spending money on a permanent fence around the U.S. Capitol is gaining traction in both parties and chambers.

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton joined Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on Thursday as they introduced a companion bill in the Senate to the version she introduced February in the House.

Its introduction comes a day after the Capitol’s security perimeter shrank from three miles — previously stretching roughly from Union Station to the Federal Center SW Metro station— to just the immediate Capitol grounds.

But residents and lawmakers alike say they don’t want to see that temporary fence, which has been up since the day after the Jan. 6 insurrection, stay up.

“We can achieve security here without building a wall,” Van Hollen said Thursday. “This capital has survived many attacks over the centuries, including the War of 1812 and in 1814, the efforts to burn down the Capitol.

“We didn’t have a wall after that. We don’t need a wall now,” he said.

Van Hollen said a fence would provide a false sense of security while walling people off from their Capitol. Blunt said the Capitol should have a sense of openness and welcomeness that visitors have long enjoyed.

“It doesn’t take long to read this bill,” Blunt said. “[It’s] not very complicated, but the statement we make by passing this legislation and then following it will make a big difference.”

Norton said the bill is a welcome sign of bipartisan action when that cooperation is often missing. The legislators said they have heard no opposition to the bill from lawmakers, though U.S. Capitol Police have recently called for the installation of permanent fencing.

“We may have 100% support on both sides for this bill,” Norton said. In February, 42 GOP lawmakers circulated a letter against a permanent fence.

The group did support more funding for 350 more Capitol Police officers to reduce overtime and overwork.

Norton also said she is meeting with the Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, to discuss the possibility of installing retractable, underground fencing, along with other newer state-of-the-art technology. She also hopes Blanton will also meet with Capitol Hill neighbors for a town hall on the topic.