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The
$2.1 billion bill was passed by the Senate by a vote of 98-0.
The House of Representatives, which had previously passed its
own $1.9 billion bill, then promptly approved the Senate version
by a vote of 416-11, clearing the way for President Joe Biden to
sign it into law.
The bill would provide $521 million to reimburse National Guard
units deployed for months to the Capitol following the riot and
$300 million for increased security measures at the site. It
also would provide $71 million for the Capitol Police to cover
overtime costs, hire new officers and other expenses and $35.4
million for that force's mutual-aid agreements with other law
enforcement jurisdictions to help in emergencies.
Without fast action, "Capitol Police funding will be depleted
literally in a number of weeks," Senate Appropriations Committee
Chairman Patrick Leahy said.
Hundreds of Trump supporters fought their way into the Capitol
in a failed attempt to stop Congress from formally certifying
Biden's 2020 election victory. Trump has falsely claimed the
election was stolen from him through widespread voting fraud.
About half the money in the bill will go toward evacuating
Afghans who assisted U.S. military forces in Afghanistan over
the past two decades, as America draws down its mission there.
Leahy said the money will pay for expanding the number of
special U.S. visas for translators and other Afghans who worked
for U.S. forces there and to provide humanitarian aid for an
anticipated rush of migrants seeking refuge outside of
Afghanistan.
The funding includes "humanitarian aid for the inevitable flood
of Afghans fleeing to neighboring countries. The United Nations
has estimated that could swell to 500,000 refugees in just the
next few months," Leahy said.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Will Dunham)
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