“The Capitol Police projects that doing nothing will deplete salaries funds in August, which would be a security crisis of our own making,” Leahy said in a press release on Thursday.
In May, the US House of Representatives passed an emergency supplemental appropriation to address the shortfall, but the measure has languished in the Senate because Republicans have yet to begin negotiations on a “bipartisan path forward,” Leahy said.
Leahy noted that 55 sworn officers have left the force since January 6, depleting an already stressed force. In addition, there is an urgent need to address costs from the riot, including significant overtime pay, hazard pay and retention bonuses to keep remaining officers from leaving, he added.
The pending Security Supplemental would address the police budget shortfall, provide additional resources to retain officers, fully reimburse the National Guard that reinforced besieged police and replace money diverted from congressional budgets to meet expenses thus far, according to the senator.
On January 6, a group of Trump supporters entered the US Capitol building to protest lawmakers legalizing the 2020 election results in several US states that then US President Donald Trump claimed were illegal. Trump insisted that victory was stolen from him via massive voter and election fraud and lawmakers from several US states should not certify the election results.
