(Washington, DC) — A bill significantly boosting Capitol security is moving to the Senate after passage by the House. The vote was 213-212. The measure is a response to the January 6th attack on the Capitol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the funding is “urgently needed now” and should not be controversial. She stressed that the attack brought “trauma and terror” to the Capitol. Republicans opposed the nearly two-billion-dollar Democratic bill, calling it an effort to militarize the Capitol.

Texas Republican Kay Granger acknowledged security breaches that were exposed on January 6th, but said the Capitol must remain open and accessible. Connecticut Democrat Rosa DeLauro called the Capitol attack an assault on America’s democracy. She said an angry mob attacked police officers and ransacked the building. Texas Republican Lance Gooden said Democrats aim to build a permanent wall around the Capitol while ignoring the unfinished wall along the southern border. He argued the measure would “further separate the American people from their elected representatives.” The bill faces an uncertain fate in the tightly-divided Senate.