Appropriations Update: Senate Begins Funding Bill Markups, Security Supplemental Signed into Law
The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations has begun markups on funding bills for the federal government. Additionally, a bipartisan security supplemental bill was signed into law last week. H.R. 3237, the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, was the result of a bipartisan compromise between Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Vice Chair Richard Shelby (R-AL).
The security supplemental law provides $1.9 billion in FY2021 emergency supplemental appropriations for the legislative branch and federal agencies to respond to the attack on the U.S. Capitol Complex that occurred on January 6, 2021. The funding provided by the law is designated as emergency spending and therefore exempt from discretionary spending limits.
The law provides security-related upgrades, repairs to facilities damaged by the attack, support for prosecutions, and the establishment of a quick reaction force within the District of Columbia National Guard to assist the Capitol Police. It also requires the Capitol Police to wear body-worn cameras when interacting with the public.
More specifically, this law provides the Capitol Police with $70.7 million in resources for overtime pay, retention bonuses, mental health services, new equipment, and training. The law provides $521 million to fully fund the cost of the National Guard deployment to Capitol Hill, and $300 million to harden accessible windows and doors of the Capitol Building and Senate and House office buildings and install security cameras.
Ina statement on the Senate floor, Senator Leahy said, “There is bipartisan understanding that this is an urgent need, and we have a moral responsibility to address it immediately.”
The Senate Appropriations Committee began markup of non-emergency funding bills for the rest of the federal government this week. To start, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held a business meeting to mark up the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022 on August 2.
The full Senate Appropriations Committee will address its first funding bills on Wednesday, August 4 with a markup of the FY 22 Energy and Water, Agriculture, and MilCon VA Appropriations Bills.
The House passed nine of their twelve appropriations bills the week of July 26. In June, Vice Chair Shelby predicted multiple continuing resolutions to avert a September 30th shutdown. Senator Shelby predicted a final funding deal no earlier than winter.
