House passes bill to boost presidential candidate security after apparent Trump assassination attempt
The House unanimously passed a bill to boost Secret Service protection for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris after apparent assassination attempts.
WASHINGTON — Five days after the second apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, the House on Friday unanimously passed bipartisan legislation that would boost Secret Service protection for the two parties’ presidential nominees, Trump and Kamala Harris, as well as their vice presidential running mates.
The vote was 405-0. It required two-thirds support of the House to pass because it came to the floor under an expedited process. In a separate action, lawmakers also passed a resolution expanding the scope of the bipartisan House task force investigating the July 13 Trump assassination attempt to include the second incident.
The bill’s passage comes as lawmakers grapple over how to address the growing threats of violence against major political figures in the U.S. ahead of the November election. Some lawmakers have called for more Secret Service funding, while others said the Secret Service could be more effective by shifting resources.
Specifically, the Enhanced Presidential Security Act — introduced by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. — would require the Secret Service to “apply the same standards for determining the number of agents required to protect Presidents, Vice Presidents, and major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates.”
The bill is just three pages long and gives the Secret Service broad discretion on how to figure out staffing levels. But if it's signed into law, Trump and Harris would be granted the same standard of Secret Security protection as President Joe Biden.
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