House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says President Donald Trump's administration is exploring ways to ensure the U.S. Capitol Police continue to receive paychecks through the government shutdown, even as many federal workers go unpaid, The Hill reported.
"We've always stood with Capitol Police and law enforcement, and we've shown that in word and deed," Johnson said in the Capitol. "If there is a mechanism to do that, they will find it, and they will fund it."
Johnson acknowledged the administration faces tough trade-offs due to limited resources but insisted Republicans are prioritizing military and law enforcement payrolls.
"We're looking at it right now as conservative Republicans. ... That's who serves in the White House right now," he said. "But I can tell you that when we look at that, we prioritize troops and law enforcement."
The White House Office of Management and Budget posted Tuesday on X asserting that the administration is bracing for a protracted shutdown while maintaining that crucial personnel would be paid. But the OMB did not clarify which law enforcement agencies it meant.
"OMB is making every preparation to batten down the hatches and ride out the Democrats' intransigence. Pay the troops, pay law enforcement, continue the RIFs, and wait," the agency wrote, referring to reductions in force.
In a related move, the Trump administration rerouted unspent Pentagon funds meant for research and development to cover military payrolls on Oct. 15.
Johnson suggested that a similar internal transfer might be possible for the Capitol Police, though he noted, "that's in a separate branch. So [it's] a different determination."
Those officers, designated "essential," are required to work through the shutdown — but they missed their first full paycheck last Friday.
The question of funding the Capitol Police has grown more tangled amid increased partisanship since the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters. More than 140 officers were injured during that assault.
Congress once treated support for Capitol Police as largely bipartisan, but the issue has since become politically charged.
Trump has characterized the events of Jan. 6 as largely peaceful and has criticized prosecutions stemming from it. On his first day of his second term, he pardoned roughly 1,500 people convicted in connection with the Capitol breach, including some involved in attacks on officers.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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