[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 82 (Thursday, May 14, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2294-S2295]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMENDING CHAPTERS 83 AND 84 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, TO
AUTHORIZE AN INCREASE OF THE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBERS OF THE CAPITOL
POLICE
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, colleagues, as you know, every year we
recognize--let the Record reflect even the U.S. Senate can experience
some technical difficulties. We are going to try this again.
Colleagues, as you know, every year we are honored to recognize
Police Week with thousands of officers from across the United States
descending here on the Nation's Capital to honor those who have fallen
in the line of duty.
There are a number of events and ceremonies throughout the week, and
the Judiciary Committee in the Senate, among others, is proud to
utilize this opportunity to advance policies, legislation, and
initiatives in support of women and men in uniform across the country.
And I personally am honored to work closely with State and local law
enforcement agencies in my home State of California to advance their
efforts by strengthening partnerships with Federal support.
Earlier today, we considered a slate of bills in the Senate Judiciary
Committee that would do just that by improving law enforcement and
supporting safer communities.
I am proud to say a series of bills came out with overwhelming,
mostly unanimous, bipartisan support. That is the Judiciary Committee.
In the Senate Rules Committee, Chairman McConnell and I have the
particular special responsibility of overseeing the U.S. Capitol Police
and ensuring that they don't just have the right policies in place to
do their jobs but advocating for the proper resources for Capitol
Police to do their very important and unique job, in not just
protecting the Capitol Complex and the campus and not just us as
Members of Congress and not just our staff but visitors to the Capitol
and the Capitol as an icon of our democracy for current and future
generations.
It is a big job, and the women and men of the Capitol Police
department do their jobs well. After all, Congress is the first branch
noted in the Constitution.
I am grateful for what they have achieved over the course of years,
certainly in recent years in the wake of January 6. But as big as their
job is, they find themselves in need of reinforcement, and they are
working hard to address some staffing shortages. It is not just by the
numbers. Let me quote Chief Sullivan, Chief of Police for the Capitol
Police, who has shared in testimony recently:
[W]e simply must continue increasing staffing levels.
And he made the reasons for this quote very clear:
[T]he implementation of additional security measures on the
Capitol Complex combined with the need to surge resources to
address the recent rise in [the] threats has overextended the
Department's traditional staffing model.
So the bigger picture, in the longer term, we need to do more to
improve recruitment and retention of Capitol Police officers.
[[Page S2295]]
But today, colleagues, I offer a modest step that we can take.
Currently, the Federal law enforcement retirement age is 57, but the
Capitol Police Board can increase that up to 60 for officers who may
wish to continue their service, to extend their service.
We are talking about officers who have served for a long, long time
and have a tremendous amount of institutional memory, experience, and
expertise. They offer immense value to the department.
Senator McConnell and I have a bill to increase that retirement age
of the Capitol Police Board to be able to extend the retirement age to
62 instead of the current 60. It allows us to all benefit for a few
more years for those veteran officers, with their experience and
expertise, who desire to continue to serve. This is voluntary but an
important element to what the Capitol Police does and needs.
The House unanimously passed a bill just recently--a very similar
bill--and after some bicameral and bipartisan discussion, I hope to see
this measure signed into law. The Capitol Police union, as well as the
department, support these steps, and I believe it deserves unanimous
support from the Senate.
Mr. President, that being said, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 4530, which is at
the desk.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the bill by
title.
The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 4530) to amend chapters 83 and 84 of title 5,
United States Code, to authorize an increase of the
retirement age for members of the Capitol Police.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be
considered a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be
considered made and laid upon the table.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
The bill (S. 4530) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading,
was read the third time, and passed as follows:
S. 4530
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR
MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE.
(a) Civil Service Retirement System.--Section 8335(c) of
title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``becomes
60 years of age'' and inserting ``attains an age determined
by the Board, which shall be not less than 57 years of age
and not more than 62 years of age''.
(b) Federal Employees' Retirement System.--Section 8425(c)
of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking
``becomes 60 years of age'' and inserting ``attains an age
determined by the Board, which shall be not less than 57
years of age and not more than 62 years of age''.
Mr. PADILLA. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Armstrong). The majority leader.
____________________