Congress mulls new Secret Service funding after apparent attempt on Trump’s life

WASHINGTON — Congress is considering boosting funding for the Secret Service after what the FBI called an apparent second attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life in 10 weeks. “Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Secret Service and all law enforcement have the resources they need to do their jobs,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a floor speech Monday. “So, as we continue the appropriations process, if the Secret Service is in need of more resources, we are prepared to [provide] it for them — possibly in the upcoming funding agreement.” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, vice chair and ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, which drafts funding bills, said Monday that Congress is open to a funding boost. But she also pointed to a letter acting Secret Service Director Ron Rowe sent to top appropriators on Sept. 5 saying the security failure in the first Trump assassination attempt on July 13 was not the result of inadequate resources. So, I’m sure the subcommittee’s going to look closely at that,” Collins said, referring to the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees homeland security matters. A U.S. Secret Service agent stands watch as then-President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn before boarding Marine One at the White House, on April 5, 2019. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images file Congress appropriated $3.1 billion for the Secret Service for the current 2024 fiscal year, which was $265.6 million above funding for fiscal year 2023 and significantly more than the $1.8 billion appropriated a decade ago. Wake up, we’re leaking oil here,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. A spokesman for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., declined to say whether the House is considering linking more Secret Service funding to a continuing resolution and pointed to his appearance Monday on Fox News, where he called for more personnel to be shifted to Trump. I think it’s a manpower allocation.” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a member of the Homeland Security Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Secret Service, was also adamant that the Secret Service does not need any more money. Well, we’re $35 trillion in debt,” said Johnson, a close Trump ally and former chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. He said that Trump’s outdoor rallies put more strain on resources but that “there are plenty of people in federal law enforcement that you could transfer over, train rapidly, and they can do the job.” Democrats said they would be on board if the Secret Service formally requested more money. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., told NBC News that “if they ask for additional resources for protection services, there’s going to be no arguing about it here.” And Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee, agreed that both parties would be “very amenable” to any Secret Service funding request. Trump’s Secret Service detail on Sunday thwarted what the FBI characterized as a second apparent assassination attempt on him while he was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service agent opened fire on the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, who fled in an SUV. Earlier Monday, President Joe Biden spoke with Trump on the phone and said “thank God” he was OK. Biden called on Congress to approve more funding to allow the Secret Service to hire more personnel. “One thing I want to make clear, the Secret Service needs more help. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Trump golfing buddy, said he has played with Trump at that golf course “dozens of times” and that the agent who intercepted the man with the gun did his job. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who is also on the Homeland Security Committee, said he’s eyeing wholesale changes to the agency. “We’re going to be looking more broadly at the effectiveness of the Secret Service as a protection agency and whether it is operating in the way that it should,” he said, adding that the Department of Homeland Security has been stonewalling the committee’s probe after the first attempt on Trump’s life. “I’ve been disappointed in fact, angry about the Department of Homeland Security’s failure to be more forthcoming with the evidence that we specifically requested.” A DHS spokesperson said the department “remains committed to working in good faith and making every effort to cooperate with the appropriate and relevant investigations into July 13th to identify how this happened and how to prevent it from happening again.” “Claims that the Department and Secret Service are not cooperating are false and fail to recognize the robust response and ongoing work to meet Congress’ oversight requests, and our clear commitment to accountability for the events of July 13th,” the spokesperson said. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/congress-mulls-new-secret-service-funding-apparent-attempt-trumps-life-rcna171397