Congress passes $2.1 billion bipartisan invoice for Capitol safety and Afghan visas

Congress on Thursday authorized a $2.1 billion spending invoice that may deal with safety considerations on the U.S. Capitol, and bolster federal efforts to relocate Afghans that aided U.S. forces through the warfare in Afghanistan. 

It handed the Senate with unanimous help in a 98-Zero vote, and later handed the House in a 416-11 vote. The measure will now go to President Joe Biden, who backed the measure in an announcement Tuesday.

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the Senate Appropriations Committee chair, and Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the rating Republican member, introduced the bipartisan spending settlement on Tuesday. 

On Tuesday, 4 law enforcement officials testified to the Jan. 6 House choose committee about horrific violence they confronted through the Jan. 6 rebellion on the Capitol, the place supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the constructing to disrupt Biden’s electoral affirmation. 

“We have to make a strong statement of support for those officers who defended the building and all that it stands for on that terrible day,” Leahy stated Thursday on the Senate ground.

The spending invoice contains roughly $1 billion for Capitol safety to cowl prices incurred through the rebellion, and make sure the Capitol is protected sooner or later. 

This contains roughly $100 million for Capitol Police, which was vulnerable to furloughing officers with out the extra funds, and $500 million to reimburse the National Guard for deployment to Capitol Hill. 

It additionally allocates $300 million for safety measures on the Capitol, equivalent to upgraded window, door and safety digicam upgrades. 

In May, the House handed a separate $1.9 billion safety spending invoice in response to the Jan. 6 rebellion, which supplied roughly $44 million for Capitol Police. 

Unlike the House invoice, nonetheless, Leahy stated the newly handed spending invoice doesn’t embody the creation of a fast response drive to help Capitol Police. 

The rebellion on the Capitol resulted in one of many worst days of accidents for U.S. legislation enforcement because the 9/11 terrorist assault, in keeping with The New York Times. 

Almost 140 law enforcement officials — 73 from the Capitol Police and 65 from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington — have been injured, the Times reported. The accidents ranged from bruises, concussions, rib fractures to a gentle coronary heart assault. 

“The last six months have pushed those who protect the U.S. Capitol to the limits. In the face of unprecedented adversity, they responded heroically,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., stated on the Senate ground earlier than the vote. “We must support them now, as they so courageously supported us.”

The different key a part of the spending invoice gives greater than $1 billion for the particular immigrant visa, or SIV, program for Afghans who assisted U.S. and coalition forces and should face retribution from the Taliban. 

“We have the moral responsibility to stand with our Afghan partners who stood with us through two decades of war,” Leahy stated within the settlement launched Tuesday. 

This comes because the Taliban continues to make advances on rural provinces within the war-torn nation, with document excessive numbers of Afghan civilian casualties through the first six months of this 12 months, in keeping with a United Nations report.

As a part of the invoice, the Defense Department will get $500 million to supply emergency transportation, housing and different important providers to Afghan companions. 

The Department of Health and Human Services will even obtain $25 million from the invoice to supply help to Afghans who arrive within the U.S. after being granted particular immigration standing. This contains monetary, medical, and housing help.  

The invoice additionally allocates $600 million for the State Department to supply humanitarian help to Afghans in neighboring international locations, and enhance the SIV program by rising the variety of visas by 8,000 and expediting the appliance course of. 

The passage of the brand new spending invoice comes because the U.S. works with allies to safe a number of abroad areas for roughly 4,000 Afghan nationals and their households below Operation Allies Refuge. Applicants who’re nearing the completion of their visa course of can be evacuated to the U.S. Army garrison in Fort Lee, Virginia for a number of days, in keeping with a State Department official. 

Last week, the Biden administration introduced the start of evacuation flights for Afghans and their households who assisted the U.S. and coalition forces. 

White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre advised reporters on Thursday that the administration wouldn’t present particular particulars concerning the flights, citing safety considerations. 

In April, Biden introduced a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11. The president gave an up to date timeline earlier this month, saying that the large job can be achieved by Aug. 31.

The nation’s highest army officer advised reporters final week that the U.S. has accomplished greater than 95% of the withdrawal. 

Until it’s completed, the U.S. continues to help Afghan forces by conducting airstrikes towards the Taliban.