Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), Chair of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the Fiscal Year 2021 budget request for the United States Capitol Police:
Thank you, Chief Steven Sund, Assistant Chiefs Yogananda Pittman and Chad Thomas, Chief Administrative Officer, Richard Braddock, and members of the Capitol Police Executive Team for joining us today to discuss the United States Capitol Police fiscal year 2021 budget request.
The Capitol Police is an essential agency of the Legislative Branch. Chief, your team, is charged with keeping Congress - it’s Members, employees, visitors, and facilities both here and within our districts safe and protected from harm’s way. The men and women of the Capitol Police put their lives on the line each day to ensure Congress can operate efficiently. You do your jobs so that we can do ours in a safe, secure, but open environment. Thank you, Chief, and all the officers and civilians of the Capitol Police that work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of the Capitol complex.
Currently, resources for Capitol Police are almost 10% of the entire Legislative Branch budget totaling $464 million. For FY 2021, the Department has requested $520 million, which is 12 percent or $56 million over the fiscal year 2020 enacted total. We appreciate your commitment to keeping our Capitol complex physically safe. Safety, security, and wellness remain this Subcommittee’s top priorities.
With that being said, Chief, thank you and the Department again for your service. I look forward to your testimony today.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
