Source: United States Senator for Vermont Patrick Leahy
It is urgent that Congress pass a security supplemental to address the needs of the National Guard and the Capitol Police resulting from the fallout of the January 6 insurrection. As I have warned, if we do not act, Capitol Police projects they will deplete salaries funds sometime in August, and they already exceeded their projected overtime because of activities resulting from January 6th in late June. The National Guard will also be forced to cut training sometime in August as well.
It has been seven weeks since the House passed a bill to address these needs with no Republican votes. In the Senate we continue to press for action, but we have not found a willing partner.
We did not budget for an insurrection, and without action the Capitol Police will go without payment for the hours of overtime they have incurred, without proper equipment, and without sufficient mental health services to deal with the continued trauma from that day. The National Guard, who poured into the Capitol from every State, now may need to cut training that they need to prepare for overseas deployments or response at home.
I have been ready, and remain ready, to begin serious negotiations on a security supplemental. If we do not act it will be a security crisis of our own making.
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