Money in an account that pays for the thousands of Capitol Police officers is running out faster than previous years due to overtime incurred following the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Members of Congress are raising the alarm over the need to immediately fund the U.S. Capitol Police and National Guard or risk both security departments running out of money, potentially leading to hundreds of furloughs and cuts that would mark the latest setback for the forces after a tumultuous year. Money allotted yearly to an account that pays for the thousands of Capitol Police officers is running out faster than previous years due to overtime incurred by officers following the Jan.6 insurrection. The end of the fiscal year is Sept.30 but Congress has been unable to pass all appropriation bills through both chambers by that date for the past several years, delaying necessary funds to keep the Capitol safe. House Democrats, in particular, are pressuring the Senate to immediately consider passing a $1.9 billion emergency security supplemental during the July session that would quickly allot $31 million to cover overtime pay, a demand that can be made difficult by a packed summer legislative calendar. While it’s possible to reallocate current funds to the overtime pay account, according to two sources familiar with funding, it would only deplete other necessary sources. House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and legislative branch appropriations subcommittee Chairman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who oversees the Capitol Police, warn that failure of the Senate to pass the legislation will force the department to make an “unacceptable choice: furloughing officers or forgoing the services, like mental health and wellness support, that officers need.” “The solution lies in the Senate. It is time for the Senate to come to the table, honor the sacrifice of the Capitol Police, and swiftly pass the emergency supplemental,” they wrote in a joint statement Friday. Senate Democratic leaders have not said if they will consider the security supplemental passed by the House in May before August recess.
