Trump Assassination Attempt Inquiry Adds to Congress' Agenda
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Investigations into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump will contribute to an already jam-packed summer agenda on Capitol Hill.
With members of Congress set to leave Washington at the end of the month, the leadership in the House and the Senate intends to devote resources to review the security assigned to Trump after he was faced with a would-be assassin.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee scheduled a hearing for July 22 with Kimberly Cheatle, director of the U.S. Secret Service, to examine protocols and procedures deployed during the attempted assassination. “Questions remain about how a rooftop within proximity to President Trump was left unsecure,” committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) endorsed an in-depth review of federal security agencies. “We’ve been in constant communication with colleagues, with staff on the [House] Oversight Committee, on some of the other committees, of course. We’re checking into some of the reports, you know, was Trump’s Secret Service asking for more Secret Service for weeks and being denied that? We’re looking at that as well,” he said July 14.
On the other side of the Capitol, Senate Homeland Security panel leaders recently announced a bipartisan investigation into Trump’s security detail. “Our committee is focused on getting all of the facts about the security failures that allowed the attacker to carry out this heinous act of violence that threatened the life of former President Trump, killed at least one person in the crowd and injured several others,” Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) said. A Senate hearing is expected to follow the investigation. Soon after the failed assassination, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) took to social media to denounce political violence: “I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe.”
In a statement issued July 15, Cheatle indicated, “The Secret Service is working with all involved federal, state and local agencies to understand what happened, how it happened and how we can prevent an incident like this from ever taking place again. We understand the importance of the independent review announced by President [Joe] Biden yesterday and will participate fully. We will also work with the appropriate congressional committees on any oversight action.”
Cheatle
On July 13, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., Trump’s right ear was injured by a 20-year-old man who was killed by the Secret Service. The FBI is investigating the shooting of the former president.
Before the assassination attempt, congressional leaders had signaled the potential for advancing various high-profile pieces of legislation before the August recess. They include emergency aid for the Port of Baltimore, comprehensive water infrastructure legislation and fiscal 2025 government funding bills.
A tractor-trailer parked in a shopping center parking lot in Fairfax, Va. A House Appropriations Committee-approved bill that would ensure funding for fiscal 2025 for USDOT includes $200 million for expanding truck parking.
On July 10, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would ensure programs at the U.S. Department of Transportation are funded during the next fiscal year. The measure would dedicate $200 million for expanding parking availability for truck drivers as well as funds for other freight sector priorities. Its floor consideration has not been scheduled. The Senate has yet to consider its version of the transportation funding bill. Failure to enact the appropriations bills by Oct. 1 would result in a partial federal shutdown.
Also, the biennial Water Resources Development Act awaits floor consideration after committees of jurisdiction gave it bipartisan backing. “The provisions of this bill touch every aspect of our water resources across the country, positively impacting the very way of life for every American,” said Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.), chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee and WRDA’s co-lead sponsor. “I look forward to its passage on the House floor in the coming weeks.”
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