Deal Reached on Capitol Security Funding Bill

Top lawmakers on the Senate appropriations committee have reached a deal on a roughly $2 billion Capitol Hill Security Spending Bill in response to the Capitol Riots in January. The bill will provide funding for the Capitol Police, the National Guard and other law enforcement partners to cover costs incurred during the insurrection. It would also help ensure the Capitol is protected in the future by paying for security upgrades at the Capitol complex. Funding has also set aside $42.1 million for expenses related to Cvid-19 response at the Capitol which includes $800,000 to reimburse Capitol Police for expenses such as the use of personal protective equipment during the pandemic and several other properties.

A Senate vote on the bill could potentially come as early as this week. The House of Representatives passed an unrelated $1.9 billion security spending bill back in May but the Senate deal is separate and the House would need to pass it after it is approved by the Senate before it could be sent to President Biden’s desk. The bill would provide $521 million to reimburse the National Guard and roughly $70 million to Capitol Police to cover expenses from the attack, an additional $300 million would be used to bolster safeguards for the Capitol complex which includes funds for window and door upgrades and the installation of new security cameras.