Secret Service could get more funding in stopgap spending bill: Schumer
Source: The Hill
09/16/24 3:59 PM ET
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Monday that Senate Democrats are prepared to provide more money for the Secret Service after former President Trump was the target of an apparent second assassination attempt over the weekend. Schumer said he spoke to Ronald Rowe Jr., the acting director of the Secret Service, on Sunday after a suspect was apprehended for stalking Trump on his Florida golf course.
Im glad the former president is safe and I applaud the Secret Service and all first responders for acting quickly before anyone got hurt, Schumer said. Law enforcement officials said the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, left behind a semiautomatic rifle and a scope after Secret Service agents fired at him while Trump played at his West Palm Beach golf club.
Theres no place in America for political violence of any kind, Schumer said on the Senate floor. We all must do our part to ensure an incident like this does not happen again. That means that Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Secret Service and all law enforcement have the resources they need to do their jobs.
So as we continue the appropriations process, if the Secret Service is in need of more resources, we are prepared in providing for them, possibly in the upcoming funding agreement, he said.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4882673-secret-service-funding-schumer/
Irish_Dem
(55,825 posts)When he belongs in prison.
Autumn
(45,988 posts)to put them at risk. You are wrong Sir. There is plenty of room in this country for political violence. They will continue to stoke it and encourage it to spread like wildfire. Democrats are at a disadvantage because we are compassionate. They know how to get their supporters to do their bidding.
BumRushDaShow
(141,022 posts)One of the Appropriations Acts back in 1994, passed under Clinton and signed by him, eliminated "lifetime" Secret Service protection for former-Presidents elected after 1996, and limited it to 10 years (that meant Shrub and Obama would lose it) -
H.R. 4539 (103rd): Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Act, 1995
SEC. 530. (a) Section 3056 paragraph (a), subparagraph (3) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding to subparagraph (3) following the word remarriage, unless the former President did not serve as President prior to January 1, 1997, in which case, former Presidents and their spouses for a period of not more than ten years from the date a former President leaves office, except that--
(1) protection of a spouse shall terminate in the event of remarriage or the divorce from, or death of a former President; and
(2) should the death of a President occur while in office or within one year after leaving office, the spouse shall receive protection for one year from the time of such death:
Provided, That the Secretary of the Treasury shall have the authority to direct the Secret Service to provide temporary protection for any of these individuals at any time if the Secretary of the Treasury or designee determines that information or conditions warrant such protection.
(b) Section 3056, paragraph (a) subparagraph (4) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting to the text of paragraph (4), following the word age the following, for a period not to exceed ten years or upon the child becoming 16 years of age, whichever comes first.
Just under 20 years later, Obama restored it - Obama restores lifetime Secret Service for former presidents
Autumn
(45,988 posts)reverses a previous law that limited Secret Service protection for former presidents and their families to 10 years Former President George W. Bush and future former presidents will receive Secret Service protection for the rest of their lives.
Autumn
(45,988 posts)protection beyond 10 years. They can afford their own security. So far in my lifetime they come out of office very well off.
BumRushDaShow
(141,022 posts)and not long after, the Assault Weapon ban was put in place. But then Citizen's United happened, the crazy teabaggers took over, and the threats elected officials were real (see Gabby Giffords who was shot in 2011), and that was before Shrub allowed the AWB to expire.
So with someone like a former President (many who tend to be older when they get out of office), it seemed the prudent thing to restore.
IIRC, they can actually refuse it.