July 29, 2021

Duckworth Votes to Pass the Bipartisan Compromise to Reimburse National Guard & Capitol Police for Insurrection Response Costs, Improve Afghan SIV Program

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) issued the following statement after voting yes on the emergency supplemental bill to reimburse the National Guard, the United States Capitol Police (USCP) and other law enforcement for costs incurred responding to the January 6th insurrection, repair damage to the Capitol and invest in security upgrades to be better prepared for a future attack and improve the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program to help bring Afghani interpreters and allies to safety after they risked their lives to help our troops:

“We owe a debt of gratitude to the National Guard Members and United States Capitol Police officers who answered the call on January 6th, repelled the insurrection and held the line—protecting members of Congress and our democracy. I’m pleased that we came to a bipartisan compromise to ensure the USCP can pay its officers and the National Guard can continue to complete its trainings and pay our servicemembers.

“By making this investment now, we can help to prevent future attacks and make sure that the members of the Capitol Police and National Guard who kept us safe on January 6th—even as they put themselves in harm’s way—are supported well into the future.

“In addition, this bill will help the United States keep our promises to the Afghans who have assisted our nation and our troops for nearly two decades by funding the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, increasing the number of visas available and including $100 million for Afghan refugee assistance to help speed up the process for thousands of them so that bringing our troops home doesn’t also mean leaving our allies behind. I was proud to vote for this and hope we can get it to President Biden’s desk immediately.”

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