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Congressional Daily Record
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May 14, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextAUTHORIZE AN INCREASE OF THE RETIREMENT AGE FOR MEMBERS OF THE CAPITOL
POLICE
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, colleagues, as you know, every year we recognize—let the Record reflect even the U.S. Senate can experience some technical difficulties. We are going to try this again.
Police Week with thousands of officers from across the United States descending here on the Nation's Capital to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty.
the Judiciary Committee in the Senate, among others, is proud to utilize this opportunity to advance policies, legislation, and initiatives in support of women and men in uniform across the country.
enforcement agencies in my home State of California to advance their efforts by strengthening partnerships with Federal support.
Committee that would do just that by improving law enforcement and supporting safer communities.
particular special responsibility of overseeing the U.S. Capitol Police and ensuring that they don't just have the right policies in place to do their jobs but advocating for the proper resources for Capitol Police to do their very important and unique job, in not just protecting the Capitol Complex and the campus and not just us as Members of Congress and not just our staff but visitors to the Capitol and the Capitol as an icon of our democracy for current and future generations.
department do their jobs well. After all, Congress is the first branch noted in the Constitution.
certainly in recent years in the wake of January 6. But as big as their job is, they find themselves in need of reinforcement, and they are working hard to address some staffing shortages. It is not just by the numbers. Let me quote Chief Sullivan, Chief of Police for the Capitol Police, who has shared in testimony recently:
[W]e simply must continue increasing staffing levels.
And he made the reasons for this quote very clear:
[T]he implementation of additional security measures on the
Capitol Complex combined with the need to surge resources to
address the recent rise in [the] threats has overextended the
Department's traditional staffing model.
But today, colleagues, I offer a modest step that we can take. Currently, the Federal law enforcement retirement age is 57, but the Capitol Police Board can increase that up to 60 for officers who may wish to continue their service, to extend their service.
and have a tremendous amount of institutional memory, experience, and expertise. They offer immense value to the department.
of the Capitol Police Board to be able to extend the retirement age to 62 instead of the current 60. It allows us to all benefit for a few more years for those veteran officers, with their experience and expertise, who desire to continue to serve. This is voluntary but an important element to what the Capitol Police does and needs.
bill—and after some bicameral and bipartisan discussion, I hope to see this measure signed into law. The Capitol Police union, as well as the department, support these steps, and I believe it deserves unanimous support from the Senate.
Mr. President, that being said, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 4530, which is at the desk.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:
A 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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The bill (S. 4530) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed 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”.
Mr. PADILLA. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Armstrong). The majority leader.