GOP leaders point to Capitol Police missed paychecks as shutdown drags on

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) are directing attention to looming missed pay for Capitol Police officers at the end of this week, a new tactic as they aim to put pressure on Senate Democrats to accept a Republican bill as the government shutdown drags on.

“Senate Democrats have already voted five times to shut down the government, and sadly, their reckless behavior may cause the brave men & women of the U.S. Capitol Police to miss a paycheck this week,” Steil said in a statement. “At a time when lawmakers are facing increasing threats, it is more critical than ever that we take care of the officers who protect visitors, staff, and lawmakers every day. It’s time for Democrats in the Senate to quit playing games and join Republicans to reopen the government.”

The appeal to law enforcement pay comes after a GOP-crafted, House-passed funding stopgap failed to advance in the Senate for a fifth time on Monday evening. Several more Democrats would need to change positions to advance that bill.

Democrats, meanwhile, have said that Republicans need to negotiate on health care measures, like the extension of expiring ObamaCare enhanced tax credits at the end of the year. They’ve put forth a counter-proposal that Republicans have also repeatedly rejected.

Johnson echoed Steil in a statement.

“Democrats voted to shut down the government and now U.S. Capitol Police won’t get paid – nor will our troops, law enforcement officers, or border patrol agents. It is shameful that those same Democrats demand these brave men and women work without a paycheck while many Democrats continue to get paid,” Johnson said.

Democrats have lionized Capitol Police in the years since the Jan. 6 Capitol attack — with many House Democrats posting replicas of a commemorative plaque honoring police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, a move highlighting that the GOP House has not yet mounted the plaque mounted in the Capitol as the law instructed.

In a statement ahead of the shutdown, Capitol Police Union chair Gus Papathanasiou said that “officers and their families will be hard hit when their wages stop.”

Papathanasiou highlighted the staffing issues facing the police department in a heightened threat environment, noting that other police departments offer more competitive benefits and bonuses.

“The biggest challenge right now with protecting Congress is manpower. Because we do not have enough officers, we are all forced to work enormous amounts of mandatory overtime. We have hundreds of officers who are eligible to retire today, and this potential shutdown gives them one more reason to leave,” Papathanasiou said in a statement ahead of the shutdown.