The U.S. Capitol Police: Brief Background

The U.S. Capitol Police: Brief Background

INSIGHTi

The U.S. Capitol Police: Brief Background
Updated July 25, 2023
U.S. Capitol Police (USCP)
The U.S. Capitol Police is a department within the legislative branch with security, protection, and
administrative responsibilities. The USCP is responsible for law enforcement and security within the
Capitol Complex, including the U.S. Capitol building, the Capitol Visitor Center, Capitol grounds, the
House and Senate office buildings, the U.S. Botanic Garden, Capitol Police buildings, Library of
Congress buildings, and adjacent grounds.
The USCP performs these roles in coordination with the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms. The House
and Senate Sergeants at Arms are charged with maintaining order in their chambers, and they each
perform a number of law enforcement, security-related, decorum, and protocol duties. The House and
Senate have each had an elected Sergeant at Arms since 1789.
Capitol Police Powers and Duties
The duties and responsibilities of the Capitol Police have developed over time and are set forth in several
sources, chief among them the U.S. Code (in particular, but not limited to, Chapter 29, subchapter II, of
Title 2). Additional authorities may be found in policies, regulations, and guidelines issued by the Senate
Committee on Rules and Administration and the Committee on House Administration; the Rules of the
House of Representatives and Senate; policies adopted by the Capitol Police Board; and custom and
precedent. Additional duties of the Capitol Police may be defined by the committees on appropriations in
reports accompanying the annual appropriations bills. The most recent legislative change, the Capitol
Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-77, enacted December 22, 2021), amended the
procedure by which the USCP can request emergency assistance from executive departments and
agencies (2 U.S.C. §1970).
In addition to responsibilities on the Capitol campus, the Capitol Police also provide protection for
Members of the House and Senate leadership, protect additional Members based on a risk-based analysis,
collaborate with the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms to assess Members’ security in their states or
districts (including office security), coordinate with local law enforcement regarding threats or in
response to investigations, and provide protection for certain off-campus events, including the presidential
nominating conventions. According to a USCP news release, “In 2022, the USCP Threat Assessment
Section (TAS) investigated a total of 7,501 cases.”
Congressional Research Service
https://crsreports.congress.gov
IN11570
CRS INSIGHT
Prepared for Members and
Committees of Congress

link to page 2 link to page 2 Congressional Research Service
2
Capitol Police Board
The Capitol Police Board is comprised of the Senate and House Sergeants at Arms, the Architect of the
Capitol, and the chief of the Capitol Police, who serves as an ex officio member.
Pursuant to 2 U.S.C. §1901a, “the purpose of the Capitol Police Board is to oversee and support the
Capitol Police in its mission and to advance coordination between the Capitol Police and the Sergeant at
Arms of the House of Representatives and the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, in their
law enforcement capacities, and the Congress.” The Board is responsible for the design, installation, and
maintenance of security systems for the Capitol buildings and grounds, under the direction of the
Committee on House Administration and Senate Committee on Rules and Administration (2 U.S.C.
§§1964-1965).
Funding
The USCP is funded in the annual legislative branch appropriations acts.
Table 1. U.S. Capitol Police Funding
(in millions of dollars)
FY12
FY13
FY14
FY15
FY16
FY17
FY18
FY19
FY20a
FY21b
FY22
FY23
$340.1
$321.3
$338.5
$348.0
$375.0
$393.3
$426.5
$456.3
$464.3
$515.5
$602.5 $734.6
Sources: P.L. 112-74, P.L. 113-6 (as reduced by sequestration and a rescission), P.L. 113-76, P.L. 113-235, P.L. 114-113,
P.L. 115-31, P.L. 115-141, P.L. 115-244, P.L. 116-260, P.L. 117-103, and P.L. 117-328.
Notes:
a. The FY2020 total does not include the $12.0 mil ion provided for salaries in P.L. 116-136. The Capitol Police were
also provided authority to transfer this funding to the “general expenses” account without the approval requirement
provided in 2 U.S.C. §1907a.
b. The FY2021 total does not include funding provided in the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act,
2021 (P.L. 117-31), which was enacted on July 30, 2021. The act provided, among other funding, $106.86 mil ion for
the Capitol Police and $321.87 mil ion for the Architect of the Capitol (including $300.00 mil ion for Capitol Police
buildings, grounds, and security).
For FY2024, the USCP requested $840.9 million (+14.5%). The House-reported bill (H.R. 4364, H.Rept.
118-120) would provide $780.9 million (+6.3%). The Senate-reported bill (S. 2302, S.Rept. 118-60)
would provide $792.5 million (+7.9%).
Since FY2003, appropriations for the police have been contained in two accounts—a salaries account,
which includes overtime and benefits, and a general expenses account, which funds “motor vehicles,
communications and other equipment, security equipment and installation, uniforms, weapons, supplies,
materials, training, medical services, forensic services,” and other services and programs. The USCP can
transfer funding between the accounts with “the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and Senate” (2 U.S.C. §1907a). Most recent actions for these accounts include
the following:
1. Salaries—the FY2023 act provided $541.7 million for salaries. The USCP requested
$612.3 million (+13.0%). The House-reported bill would provide $588.1 million
(+8.6%). The Senate-reported bill would provide $588.6 million (+8.7%).
2. General expenses—the FY2023 act provided $192.8 million for general expenses. The
USCP requested $228.7 million (+18.6%). The House-reported bill would continue the
FY2023 enacted level. The Senate-reported bill would provide $203.8 million (+5.7%).

Congressional Research Service
3
Another appropriation relating to the USCP appears within the Architect of the Capitol account for
Capitol Police buildings and grounds. The FY2023 level was $402.9 million. For FY2024, $119.8 million
(-70.3%) was requested, the House-reported bill would provide $81.2 million (-79.9%), and the Senate-
reported bill would provide $86.8 million (-78.5%).
Appointment of Chief
2 U.S.C. §1901 states: “The Capitol Police shall be headed by a Chief who shall be appointed by the
Capitol Police Board and shall serve at the pleasure of the Board.”
J. Thomas Manger was sworn in as Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police on July 23, 2021.
Previously, Yogananda D. Pittman served as the Acting Chief of Police/Assistant Chief of Police for
Protective and Intelligence Operations from January 8, 2021, until Chief Manger was sworn in.
Previous chiefs appointed in the last 20 years include the following:
• Steven A. Sund, appointed effective June 13, 2019.
• Matthew R. Verderosa, appointment effective March 20, 2016.
• Kim Dine, appointment effective December 17, 2012.
• Phillip D. Morse, Sr., appointment effective October 30, 2006.
• Terrance W. Gainer, appointment effective June 2002.
Sources of Oversight
Oversight of the Capitol Police has been provided by a number of entities.
The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the Committee on House Administration have
jurisdictional oversight over many congressional security-related activities. The Senate Committee on
Rules and Administration has held hearings individually and jointly with the Senate Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs regarding the events of January 6, and the two committees
jointly issued a joint staff report in June 2021. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs issued an additional staff report in 2023. The Committee on House Administration
has also conducted multiple hearings. A joint hearing of the Committee on House Administration and the
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration has been announced for July 26, 2023 (see joint
committee language in the Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021 [P.L. 117-77, enacted
December 22, 2021; 2 U.S.C. §1901b]).
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees, through their legislative branch subcommittees,
provide oversight of funding, administration, operations, and policies, through the annual appropriations
hearings, reports, and bill language. They may also conduct additional investigations.
On June 30, 2021, the House established the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on
the United States Capitol (H.Res. 503, 117th Congress).
Additional committees have historically also examined various aspects of Capitol security.
House and Senate leadership may also provide oversight and direction on matters pertaining to their
respective chambers.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has performed evaluations of various aspects of the USCP,
including, for example, work related to January 6th (including, most recently, a report on the identification
of threats); the Capitol Police Board (2017); and USCP administration and management operations
(2008).

Congressional Research Service
4

The USCP also has a statutorily established Inspector General.
Line of Duty Deaths
The USCP announced the death of USCP Officer Brian D. Sicknick on January 7, 2021, and the death of
USCP Officer Howard Liebengood on January 10, 2021. On April 2, 2021, the USCP announced the
death of USCP Officer William F. Evans.
Prior to 2021, the USCP saw five officers die in the line of duty, including two officers killed during an
intrusion in 1998.
Following the 1998 shootings, the USCP established the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund.
The provision of additional benefits, including death gratuities, is addressed in 2 U.S.C. §1907(e)(2).
For information on additional benefits that might be available when an officer dies in the line of duty, see
CRS Report R45327, Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) and Public Safety Officers’ Educational
Assistance (PSOEA) Programs; and CRS Report R42107, The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act
(FECA): Workers’ Compensation for Federal Employees.

Author Information

Ida A. Brudnick

Specialist on the Congress

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United
States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However,
as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the
permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
IN11570 · VERSION 4 · UPDATED