YES
I have been to the Capitol and understand what you are asking very well.
I have been there when it was blocked off and the only way to enter was to wait in a long line or get a pass from the congress, and mine I got from the Senate offices. There were barricades then too, due to 911. However, all they did was create a way to force us in using the system I said I used or wait forever in very long lines. West Grounds also face the White House and it's the easiest path to the Capitol from the White House.
I parked the car several blocks to the east and walked all the way to the Capitol. The visitor center was under construction then, so we walked up the stairs to the Capitol on the West side, and I met a couple one time who wanted me to use their camera and take some pictures of them on the steps.
It is my thinking that if one was in the Capitol and knows the lay out, like me, one has a better picture of this day than others have who have no clue what it is like there.