A bipartisan deal has been struck on a $2.1 billion bill that would boost support for the Capitol complex in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection, direct much-needed funds to the U.S. Capitol Police and provide humanitarian support for Afghan refugees.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., who serve as chair and vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, respectively, announced the deal Tuesday.
The Jan. 6 riot depleted funds from the police force, and the agreement came the same day two officers from the department testified on Capitol Hill about the attack.
Two weeks ago, Leahy and Shelby had released dramatically different spending plans. Here's a closer look at some of what's in the new supplemental appropriations bill:
Capitol Police
Capitol Complex
Aid For Afghans
"We have the responsibility to take care of the Capitol Police in the wake of their incredible service on January 6th, and to reimburse our National Guard for costs incurred protecting the Capitol," Leahy said in a statement. "And we have the moral responsibility to stand with our Afghan partners who stood with us through two decades of war. This bipartisan agreement addresses these critical needs, and it addresses them now because they cannot wait."
In his own statement, Shelby said he is "pleased this legislation sticks to immediate security needs."
"It is essential that we provide the National Guard and Capitol Police the funding they require without further delay," he said.
The deal was announced hours after the first hearing of the U.S. House select committee charged with investigating the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, where Capitol Police officers and Metropolitan Police officers gave harrowing, emotional testimonies about their experiences the day of the insurrection.
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