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Washington, DC -- Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) voted to pass H.R. 3237, the Emergency Security Supplemental, which includes $70.7 million for the U.S. Capitol Police and $521 million for unanticipated pay and operations costs for the National Guard deployment at the Capitol and throughout the National Capital Region:

“Today we’re delivering crucial funding to secure our Capitol and support our Capitol Police officers. These officers put themselves between Members of Congress and the attackers during the January 6 insurrection and have been overworked and living with the trauma of that day ever since. The resources included in this supplemental will enable USCP to increase their mental health and wellness services with tailored law enforcement trauma specialists, including six new mental health counselors for our USCP officers that I worked hard to include.”

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee Legislative Branch Subcommittee, Wexton secured additional funding for mental health counselors and specialists and to rename the U.S. Capitol Police wellness center after Officer Howard C. “Howie” Liebengood, a Virginia-10 constituent who died by suicide following the January 6 insurrection.

“I’m proud to have succeeded in establishing the Howard C. ‘Howie’ Liebengood Center for Wellness for the USCP to honor the service and sacrifice of my constituent, Officer Howie Liebengood, who lost his life as a result of the events of January 6. I hope that this program will encourage other USCP officers to seek the help that they need and fight the stigma that has prevented too many members of law enforcement from confronting the stress and trauma of their work. I’m especially grateful for the commitment of the Liebengood family to honor Howie’s memory with action and ensure that his fellow USCP officers get the support they need and deserve.”

This bill, which was passed unanimously by the Senate and earned a strong bipartisan vote in the House, delivers $2.1 billion in emergency funding to secure the United States Capitol, address the costs of the deadly domestic terrorist attack on January 6th, and more. Importantly, this bill supports the heroic Capitol Police force, which put their lives on the line to defend the Capitol and now require more resources to continue to do their life-saving work.

In May, the House passed a strong security supplemental, which was based on the facts and findings of a report by General Russel Honoré in the immediate aftermath of the insurrection, as well as the Inspector General's reports to the Committee on House Administration. The Senate’s bill did not include a number of recommendations from these reports that the House included in its original bill. As Congress continues its investigation into the insurrection, House Democrats will continue to push for more measures to secure the Capitol against future attacks.

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