Democrats push $3.7B bill to secure Capitol; GOP offers less
Democrats want to spend $3.7 billion on Capitol security and more.[MGN/National Register of Historic Places]
WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Democrats are proposing $3.7 billion in emergency spending to secure the Capitol, repay outstanding debts from the Jan. 6 insurrection and help the federal government defray costs from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The legislation met immediate opposition from Republicans who floated a much narrower version.
The bill comes more than six months after the attack on the Capitol by former President Donald Trump’s supporters.
Democrats say it’s necessary to ensure that the Capitol Police officers who battled the insurrectionists that day and the National Guard troops who protected the building for months afterward do not face pay cuts or funding shortfalls.