Hoyer Statement on House Passage of the Senate-Approved Security Supplemental
“Today, the House passed a supplemental appropriation bill approved earlier by the Senate in order to keep our commitment to the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police to ensure they have the funding and resources they need. If we had failed to meet that responsibility, Capitol Police officers could have been furloughed just months after suffering the devastating blow of the January 6 insurrection and the loss of three of its officers in the line of duty this year. That’s why the House passed a bill two months ago to address this issue, and it was unfortunate that the Senate took so long to do the same. In sending this bill to the President’s desk, the House overcame opposition from House Republicans, who continued to play partisan games on the Floor today to delay this action. While this bill does not include all of the resources I had sought, such as a National Guard rapid-response unit, it is essential that we move forward to ensure that key funding is in place right away. I hope we can continue to work across the aisle toward securing additional funding to implement the recommendations of the Honoré report in full. “I continue to think a great deal about the courage and sacrifice of those who were serving here on January 6 and April 2 – just as I have been thinking a lot about the families of Officers Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood, and William Evans and the pain and grief that is still so fresh. In my mind as well are their colleagues who continue to patrol the grounds of the Capitol and its office buildings, keeping watch over the safety of all who serve here, who work here as employees, and who visit to engage with their legislators or learn about our nation’s history. We must ensure that they have every tool needed to do their jobs safely and effectively. We owe them more than our gratitude: we owe them our partnership in this common effort.”