The House of Representatives recently passed a bipartisan bill to enhance Secret Service protections for major presidential and vice-presidential candidates, following two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump. The bill received unanimous support, passing with a 405-0 vote, which is a rare show of unity in Congress. It was introduced by Reps. Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler in response to a July 13 incident at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire from a rooftop, killing one person and injuring Trump and two others.
A second attempt occurred weeks later when a man armed with an SKS rifle was arrested near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course. The proposed legislation aims to standardize security measures for current and former presidents, vice presidents, and major candidates. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, it would mandate a comprehensive review of the Secret Service’s protective standards.
Rep. Lawler emphasized that this measure is essential to protect the democratic process, stating, “Regardless of how every American feels, it is the right of the American people to determine the outcome of this election.” Rep. Jerry Nadler supported the bill but expressed concerns that it doesn’t address broader gun violence issues. Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan accused Nadler of politicizing the situation, arguing that the focus should be on protecting candidates, not on assigning blame.
The bill’s passage follows heightened security concerns, with President Biden already extending Secret Service protection to Trump and granting it to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was then running as a third-party candidate.
