In a narrow 213-212 vote on Thursday, the House "barely" passed the Democrat-led, $1.9 billion bill meant to reinforce Capitol security in the wake of the Jan. 6 insurrection.
The bill's razor-thin passage emphasizes just how small of a foothold Democrats really have in the House, particularly after losing day-of support from progressives in what Politico called "eleventh-hour drama."
Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) voted present, while Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) voted no, all reportedly due to concerns about funding the Capitol Police, writes Politico. The bill funnels $43.9 million to the Capitol Police, per Axios, who some dissenting Democrats reportedly believe may have been "complicit" in the riot. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reportedly worked to "appease concerns" in what became a "last-minute scramble," writes Politico.
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Omar told Politico: "I am frankly tired of any time where there is a failure in our system of policing, the first response is for us to give them more money."
Among other allocations, the bill sets aside $520.9 million for the National Guard, $250 million for security on Capitol grounds, and $162.7 million for the reinforcement of Capitol building windows and doors, Axios reports.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it will likely face difficulty, reports CNBC.
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