A new Legislative Branch bill has called to expand government spending on a myriad of initiatives, which according to a memo put out by the Republican House Appropriations Committee will include numerous multimillion-dollar increases in funding for things ranging from areas of the legislative branch to the Capitol Police.
The controversial proposal plans to hand over $780.9 million to the U.S. Capitol Police during fiscal 2024, marking a 22% increase in spending, which is to say an additional $46.3 million compared to the previous fiscal year. This massive monetary hike is explained as being necessary due to hardships faced by the Capitol Police, including alleged threats made to staffers following the protests at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Despite the tens of millions of additional dollars, Republicans have proposed sending to the Capitol Police for the next fiscal year, House Appropriations Democrats have reportedly cried foul, complaining that it does not do enough to help out the Capitol Police and does not offer money for the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
“This bill halts the progress made in recent years, raises concerns about Congress’s ability to maintain constituent services, and does not fully fund personnel needs for the United States Capitol Police at a time when threats against Members and staff are on the rise,” Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), reportedly said in a statement. “We made progress last Congress, but this bill takes us backward.”
In the last couple of months, newly surfaced footage from the protests at the Capitol that day shows police responding to the scene and offering guided tours to Americans who had entered the building.
Oops. No cherry picking Biden. Thanks to Tucker we now know Capitol police gave trump supporters guided tours. pic.twitter.com/z2nhQQp9hu
— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) May 11, 2023
Some conservatives have lamented these moves by GOP lawmakers to help secure more money for the Capitol Police, often suggesting that the institution has not done enough to establish its own credibility.
Speaking on the Capitol Police, American political commentator, writer, and radio host Daniel Horowitz pointed out that they were unable to “defend their own building” nor stop “an illegal alien hammer man” from attacking former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) home, while also noting that the force is looking to expand its presence nationwide.
He then asked a poignant question: “Now they want more money and authority. Are you kidding me?”
While many are not, some members of the GOP have made attempts to push back on this conduct by the Capitol Police, including Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), who put forth a legislative proposal in 2021 seeking to stop the group from forming a base outside of Washington, D.C.
Included in Seube’s plan is a stipulation that any deployments by the force will be “for a defined, limited duration of no more than 30 days.”
