Congress on Thursday rapidly cleared a $2.1 billion emergency spending package that will avert a Capitol Police funding crisis sparked by the Jan. 6 riot and also provide urgent funds to evacuate and resettle Afghans who aided US forces during the 20-year war in their homeland, The Washington Post reports.
US Congress passes $2.1nn emergency funding for Capitol security and Afghan resettlement
STEPANAKERT, JULY 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: Leaders of the Capitol Police and National Guard units warned of imminent cuts if Congress did not act to backfill expenditures made in the wake of the Capitol attack, and lawmakers responded swiftly by congressional standards, delivering a bipartisan package that advanced to the Senate floor with relatively little drama.
The Senate voted 98-0, and the House followed suit hours later, 416-11. The White House released a statement Thursday supporting the bill, indicating President Biden will sign it.
The accord was reached after several weeks of wrangling between the parties, and the top Senate appropriators, Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), clinched a deal Tuesday just as a panel of four police officers testified about the grievous trauma they endured before a special House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.
