A GOP stopgap spending bill to fund the government through mid-November will include a $30 million increase in funding for lawmaker security, House leaders announced Tuesday.
The security funding will be added to the “mutual aid” program that lets Capitol Police reimburse local law enforcement and other partners for helping secure lawmakers, particularly when they’re outside Washington.
“The security funding is making sure, yes, that elected officials are safe, but also staff and members of the public as well,” said House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican.
The $30 million is meant to last through the Nov. 21 end date of the government funding stopgap, which GOP leaders said they plan to release Tuesday.
The funding does not cover an extension of a House pilot program ending this month that increased members’ monthly security allotment from $150, designed to cover monthly costs of residential security monitoring and maintenance, to $5,000 so members could also hire personal security guards.
Money for continuing that boost is being discussed as part of negotiations on a full-year legislative branch spending bill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, has said roughly 20 lawmakers participated in the two-month pilot program but that more lawmakers expressed interest in doing so after Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated last week.
The $30 million in the stopgap is a partial solution with “more to come,” Mr. Johnson told reporters Tuesday.
“We’ll be looking at the leg branch appropriations bill to have the further funding,” he said.
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
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