Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-05-19

AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE

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On 2026-05-19, Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI-1) delivered a floor speech titled "AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE" in the House.

Full Text

AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 85 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3557-H3558] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4530) to amend chapters 83 and 84 of title 5, United States Code, to authorize an increase of the retirement age for members of the Capitol Police. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 4530 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE. (a) Civil Service Retirement System.--Section 8335(c) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``becomes 60 years of age'' and inserting ``attains an age determined by the Board, which shall be not less than 57 years of age and not more than 62 years of age''. (b) Federal Employees' Retirement System.--Section 8425(c) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``becomes 60 years of age'' and inserting ``attains an age determined by the Board, which shall be not less than 57 years of age and not more than 62 years of age''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin. General Leave Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Wisconsin? There was no objection. Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today was drafted to address staffing shortages with the United States Capitol Police. Currently, officers are forced to retire at age 57, unless they receive a waiver from the Capitol Police Board. With a waiver, an officer may continue working until they are age 60. S. 4530 extends the waiver timeline. Under this bill, the Capitol Police Board will have the authority to grant waivers to sworn officers until they turn 62. Right now, nearly 60 sworn officers are working with a waiver. Unless we pass this statutory change, each of these officers will be forced to retire within the next few years. These forced retirements will only compound the staffing shortage issue that we are facing within the Capitol Police force. Notably, there is past precedent for this policy change. On two occasions, Congress has temporarily raised the mandatory Federal law enforcement retirement age to 65 to address staffing issues at the FBI. I will also note that this bill gives the Capitol Police Board discretion when deciding who is still fit for the job. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4530, a bill that would increase the age to which Capitol Police officers may continue to serve from 60 to 62 when granted a retirement age waiver by the Capitol Police Board. Importantly, this bill does not change the statutory retirement age. Rather, it gives the Capitol Police Board flexibility to allow willing and able officers to remain with the force. I said it when the House recently passed its version of the legislation, [[Page H3558]] and I want to reiterate that the officers of the United States Capitol Police have one of the most critical and demanding jobs in the legislative branch. Last week, we celebrated Police Week here in Washington. At a time when payouts and pardons are being handed to the people who savagely attacked the Capitol Police in this very building just 5 years ago, they need to know we have their backs; not just with words, but with actions. The force has come a long way since then, and I commend Chief Sullivan and former Chief Manger for working to rebuild the force and grow its ranks. We cannot stand in the way of that progress. Threats against Members, our families, staff, people who visit here, and threats against our democratic institutions are growing by the day, and they show no signs of relenting, so we must confront this scourge head-on. We can do that by helping to advance the interests that Capitol Police continue to deal with the challenges they have in terms of recruitment, and we can do it by passing this bill. I thank Chairman Steil, my colleague and friend, and all those members of the Committee on House Administration for making sure that we are able to get this passed. I also thank our colleagues in the Senate for giving us the chance to do this a second time, but I very much appreciate it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the leader of the Republican Conference. Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil), the chairman of the committee and my friend, for yielding. I thank him for the hard work he has put in to first passing an important bill over to the Senate, and now seeing this bill come back to address an important issue, and that is to make sure that we give the Capitol Police Board the flexibility so that we don't have to lose more good officers on the Capitol Police force. I know personally the heroism and bravery of the great men and women in the United States Capitol Police. I would not be here without their heroism and bravery. We have some of them who are in the prime of their career who would be forced to retire if we don't pass this legislation. At a time, as was brought up, where we have shortages, we need to make sure that we not only can keep attracting new officers to the force, but when you have officers in the prime of their career that everybody agrees are worthy of keeping on, that they have that flexibility. That is what this bill does, gives the Capitol Police Board that flexibility. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the adoption of the legislation and urge all my colleagues to do the same. Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for sharing his tragic experience. I am grateful to him for his leadership on these important issues. Again, this is, in my mind, a commonsense way to make sure that we continue to have the backs of the members of the Capitol Police who do such an extraordinary job protecting this entire Capitol complex, the men and women who serve here, our staffs, our families, and all the American citizens who get to come and participate in this great democracy. I urge the passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I just thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, for his work in moving this bill through quickly as well as the leadership of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration for also engaging this, as well as Leader Scalise. I think we all recognize the hard work that the men and women of the United States Capitol Police force do day in and day out to make sure that this institution is open and accessible to the people and those who visit here, as well as staff and Members are kept safe. This bill is a real opportunity to make sure that those individuals who have crossed the age of 60 but still are ready, prepared, and able to serve in the United States Capitol Police are able to do that. I appreciate the work of all of my colleagues in moving this through. I encourage all of our colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 4530. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________

Referenced legislation: S4530, S4530

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AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 85 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026)] [House] [Pages H3557-H3558] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 4530) to amend chapters 83 and 84 of title 5, United States Code, to authorize an increase of the retirement age for members of the Capitol Police. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: S. 4530 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION TO INCREASE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBER OF THE CAPITOL POLICE. (a) Civil Service Retirement System.--Section 8335(c) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``becomes 60 years of age'' and inserting ``attains an age determined by the Board, which shall be not less than 57 years of age and not more than 62 years of age''. (b) Federal Employees' Retirement System.--Section 8425(c) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``becomes 60 years of age'' and inserting ``attains an age determined by the Board, which shall be not less than 57 years of age and not more than 62 years of age''. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin. General Leave Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Wisconsin? There was no objection. Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today was drafted to address staffing shortages with the United States Capitol Police. Currently, officers are forced to retire at age 57, unless they receive a waiver from the Capitol Police Board. With a waiver, an officer may continue working until they are age 60. S. 4530 extends the waiver timeline. Under this bill, the Capitol Police Board will have the authority to grant waivers to sworn officers until they turn 62. Right now, nearly 60 sworn officers are working with a waiver. Unless we pass this statutory change, each of these officers will be forced to retire within the next few years. These forced retirements will only compound the staffing shortage issue that we are facing within the Capitol Police force. Notably, there is past precedent for this policy change. On two occasions, Congress has temporarily raised the mandatory Federal law enforcement retirement age to 65 to address staffing issues at the FBI. I will also note that this bill gives the Capitol Police Board discretion when deciding who is still fit for the job. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 4530, a bill that would increase the age to which Capitol Police officers may continue to serve from 60 to 62 when granted a retirement age waiver by the Capitol Police Board. Importantly, this bill does not change the statutory retirement age. Rather, it gives the Capitol Police Board flexibility to allow willing and able officers to remain with the force. I said it when the House recently passed its version of the legislation, [[Page H3558]] and I want to reiterate that the officers of the United States Capitol Police have one of the most critical and demanding jobs in the legislative branch. Last week, we celebrated Police Week here in Washington. At a time when payouts and pardons are being handed to the people who savagely attacked the Capitol Police in this very building just 5 years ago, they need to know we have their backs; not just with words, but with actions. The force has come a long way since then, and I commend Chief Sullivan and former Chief Manger for working to rebuild the force and grow its ranks. We cannot stand in the way of that progress. Threats against Members, our families, staff, people who visit here, and threats against our democratic institutions are growing by the day, and they show no signs of relenting, so we must confront this scourge head-on. We can do that by helping to advance the interests that Capitol Police continue to deal with the challenges they have in terms of recruitment, and we can do it by passing this bill. I thank Chairman Steil, my colleague and friend, and all those members of the Committee on House Administration for making sure that we are able to get this passed. I also thank our colleagues in the Senate for giving us the chance to do this a second time, but I very much appreciate it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the leader of the Republican Conference. Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil), the chairman of the committee and my friend, for yielding. I thank him for the hard work he has put in to first passing an important bill over to the Senate, and now seeing this bill come back to address an important issue, and that is to make sure that we give the Capitol Police Board the flexibility so that we don't have to lose more good officers on the Capitol Police force. I know personally the heroism and bravery of the great men and women in the United States Capitol Police. I would not be here without their heroism and bravery. We have some of them who are in the prime of their career who would be forced to retire if we don't pass this legislation. At a time, as was brought up, where we have shortages, we need to make sure that we not only can keep attracting new officers to the force, but when you have officers in the prime of their career that everybody agrees are worthy of keeping on, that they have that flexibility. That is what this bill does, gives the Capitol Police Board that flexibility. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the adoption of the legislation and urge all my colleagues to do the same. Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for sharing his tragic experience. I am grateful to him for his leadership on these important issues. Again, this is, in my mind, a commonsense way to make sure that we continue to have the backs of the members of the Capitol Police who do such an extraordinary job protecting this entire Capitol complex, the men and women who serve here, our staffs, our families, and all the American citizens who get to come and participate in this great democracy. I urge the passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I just thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, for his work in moving this bill through quickly as well as the leadership of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration for also engaging this, as well as Leader Scalise. I think we all recognize the hard work that the men and women of the United States Capitol Police force do day in and day out to make sure that this institution is open and accessible to the people and those who visit here, as well as staff and Members are kept safe. This bill is a real opportunity to make sure that those individuals who have crossed the age of 60 but still are ready, prepared, and able to serve in the United States Capitol Police are able to do that. I appreciate the work of all of my colleagues in moving this through. I encourage all of our colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 4530. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________ Referenced legislation: S4530, S4530