House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday introduced a short-term spending bill that includes an additional $231 million for the U.S. Secret Service.
Johnson's New Continuing Resolution The CR, which would fund the government through Dec. 20, is due to be voted on within a week of Friday's fiscal deadline to avert a government shutdown. Johnson said First funding billThe bill, which included an accompanying measure that would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote, failed in a House vote on Wednesday. (Related: House unanimously passes bill to strengthen Secret Service protection for presidential candidates)
“This is not a solution that any of us would prefer, but it is the most sensible way forward in the current circumstances,” Johnson said. letter Sunday. “History teaches us, and current polls prove it, that shutting down the government with less than 40 days until a fateful election would be political malfeasance.”
“From now until Election Day, I will work tirelessly and be single-mindedly focused on expanding our majority in the 119th Congress,” Johnson continued. “It is my great honor to serve with you during these historic days. The future of this great nation depends directly on our success, and I am confident that together we will prevail!”
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 18: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) attends a press conference with Republican leadership at the Capitol in Washington, DC on September 18, 2024. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Johnson's first CR was due to be voted on last week, on 11 September, but was suddenly withdrawn that same day in order for the Speaker to “build consensus” within the party before reintroducing the bill. Johnson's six-month CR and the accompanying SAVE Bill were: Blocked Fourteen Republicans and 206 Democrats voted in favor, mainly citing financial concerns.
A CR would force lawmakers to renegotiate the budget before Christmas, but House Republican leadership staff emphasized at a press conference on Sunday that the speaker intends to avoid relying on an omnibus spending bill.
The $231 million Secret Service budget increase comes two months after the first assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and just one week after the second. The House of Representatives unanimously voted to approve the bill following the latest assassination attempt last Sunday. Passed One invoice On Friday, legislation was passed that would increase Secret Service protection for “primary” candidates for president and vice president.
The bill, titled the “Enhancing Presidential Security Act,” passed overwhelmingly, but some Republicans in Congress are skeptical of giving the Secret Service additional funding. (Related: Homeland Security and Secret Service sued over refusal to release documents of Trump assassination attempt)
“I will not support further funding until the Secret Service is restructured from the top down,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “There is a clear lack of leadership and competence, and throwing more money at this issue will not fix the underlying problems. We need accountability and reform first. The American people deserve answers.”
“There will be no more funding for the Secret Service,” Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett told the DCNF. “Acting Director Rowe has recognized on his own that the failure on July 13 was not due to a lack of resources. It is clearly the result of a lack of leadership. Eliminate all public policies that place DEI recruits in any position, including leadership, and ensure that everyone in the Secret Service is the best person for their position.” (RELATED: 'Nearly irresponsible': Democratic lawmakers slam DHS for inaction in assassination attempt investigation, threaten subpoenas)
Johnson insisted the extra funding was just one way of reforming the Secret Service, saying he was looking at “all aspects.”
“I think it's a staffing issue,” Johnson said. said “We don't want to just pour more money into a broken system. We will look at all aspects and make the appropriate decisions,” he added, speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
On July 13, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire on the former president from a rooftop just 130 yards from the rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Crooks Discovered It was spotted by rally-goers and bystanders, flagged by the Secret Service and identified by a local counter-sniper more than an hour before Trump took the stage.
Just two months later, 58-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh attempted to assassinate Trump while he was playing golf at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida. Routh was quickly arrested after Secret Service agents discovered his “scoped AK-47-type rifle” on the course.
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