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U.S. Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan has requested the department’s first budget over $1 billion, pointing to increasing security demands and rising threats against members of Congress.
“The threat environment continues to grow,” Sullivan said Tuesday during testimony to the House Appropriations Legislative Branch subcommittee.
Sullivan said last year his department investigated nearly 15,000 concerning statements and threats directed at Congress. That was a 58% increase compared to the previous year.
He said the department is on pace to exceed that this year.
“These are not just numbers. They’re threats against real people,” Sullivan said. “We understand how disruptive and unsettling that can be.”
Last month, Capitol Police arrested an 18-year-old man who ran toward the West Front of the Capitol while carrying a loaded shotgun. No one was injured and the man, later identified by officials as Carter Camacho, was taken into custody.
Camacho told officers he was there to meet a member of Congress but did not say who it was.
Protection of lawmakers expands beyond Capitol Hill
Sullivan told lawmakers his department is not just focused on improving security at the Capitol and the congressional buildings nearby. He said the department now has mutual aid agreements in all 50 states, so that law enforcement resources can be quickly sent in wherever they are needed.
Many lawmakers have expressed concern about their security when they return to their home states.
In 2022, a man broke into the California home of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacked her husband Paul Pelosi with a hammer. He told authorities he had come to the home to interrogate Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who was not there at the time.
David DePape was convicted of two charges in 2024 and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In recent years, Congress has approved additional funding so that lawmakers can add to the security of their private homes.
Sullivan told lawmakers at the hearing on Tuesday that he has made progress in hiring, but noted the department’s mission has expanded.
“That has placed a strain on our staffing model and increased overtime,” he said.
His budget request for the 2027 fiscal year includes $734 million for salary and expenses and $289 million for general expenses.
Sullivan became police chief last year, succeeding Thomas Manger, who retired in May 2025.
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