[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5116-S5117]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            CAPITOL SECURITY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on another matter, yesterday, the Senate 
Appropriations Chairman, Senator Leahy, announced a bipartisan 
agreement to provide $2.1 billion in emergency supplemental funding to 
support the Capitol Police, reimburse our National Guard, and make sure 
all the critical functions of the Capitol Complex are properly funded.
  The toll of January 6 and the impact of COVID had meant that funding 
for the Capitol Police, the Capitol Complex, and even for our National 
Guard was running low.

[[Page S5117]]

  Capitol Police have been forced to cancel critical training and 
health services and have had to hold off on buying new, potentially 
lifesaving gear, like helmets and body armor and respirators.
  Thankfully, the bipartisan agreement between the chair and ranking 
member of the Appropriations Committee will replenish these critical 
funds and support the hard-working men and women who keep this 
building, Senators, staff, media, and Capitol employees safe.
  I was pleased to hear the Republican leader support this supplemental 
appropriations bill this morning, and I look forward to working with 
our Republican colleagues to swiftly passing this legislation through 
the Senate.
  And I must give accolades to the Rules Committee, led by Senators 
Klobuchar and Blunt. Their hearings and focus on this issue--the safety 
of the Capitol--has helped pave the way for the agreement, and we thank 
them for their continued diligence.

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