Although the House passed House Bill H.R. 3237 with a final vote of 213 in favor and 212 against, Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) voted against providing additional funding to improve Capitol Security.
On the heels of Congress voting to create a 9/11-style commission that would further investigate the storming of the Capitol on January 6th, Congress has also voted to provide $1.9 billion to improve Capitol security & to respond to the attack on January 6th. Moreover, after being questioned over whether or not he would testify before the independent January 6th commission, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R) announced today that he would be willing to testify before the commission that’s investigating the attack.
In introducing the bill, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D), the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, commented that “the January 6th insurrection caused tragic loss of life and many injuries while leaving behind widespread physical damage to the Capitol Complex and emotional trauma for Members, Congressional employees, and the Capitol Police.”
DeLauro also said that “this emergency supplemental appropriation addresses the direct costs of the insurrection and strengthens Capitol security for the future,” adding that “it is also long overdue recognition of the work of the Capitol Police, the sacrifices that they and their families have made, and the changes they need.”
In turn, “this narrowly-tailored bill is the byproduct of a careful examination of the Capitol Security Review and information gathered by the Appropriations Committee through briefings, hearings, and discussions with Members and other experts.
Finally, the needs are urgent, so it is imperative we swiftly pass this legislation to protect the Capitol and those who work and visit here.”
Overall, Democrats have pushed for further investigation into the storming of the Capitol on January 6th. Though Republicans like McCarthy have pushed back against the idea of a commission, calling it “a lot of politics,” McCarthy this week acknowledged that he would testify should he be subpoenaed to speak in front of the Commission.
"Sure, next question," he responded to reporters when asked about testifying.
