(DCWatchdog.com) – In a big and resounding display of bipartisan unity, the U.S. Senate has unanimously passed legislation to bolster Secret Service protection for presidential candidates.
This legislation aims to provide GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and his opponent, Kamala Harris, with the same level of Secret Service protection as Joe Biden due to the two alarming assassination attempts on Trump.
Even though the Enhanced Presidential Security Act now awaits Biden’s signature, the bill’s passage through both chambers of Congress without a single vote of opposition highlights the gravity of the situation.
In the House, the final tally was an overwhelming 405-0, demonstrating an unequivocal commitment to protecting America’s political leaders from harm.
Republican Representative Mike Lawler, a chief sponsor of the bill, emphasized the fundamental principles at stake:
“Elections are determined at the ballot box, not by an assassin’s bullet. That these incidents were allowed to occur is a stain on our country. We have endured through assassinations of political leaders including presidents.”
“It is destructive to our country, it is destructive to our democracy, our constitutional republic, and it undermines the confidence that Americans have in their government and in the electoral process,” he added.
Similarly, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe has assured Congress that Trump has been receiving the highest level of protection since July 13, following the first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Rowe stated, “What I can tell you is that when I say the highest levels of Secret Service protection, the former president is getting tactical assets, he’s getting everything that the current president has with respect to Secret Service assets.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) underscored the bipartisan nature of this effort, stating:
“We have a responsibility here in Congress to get down to the bottom of this to figure out why these things are happening and what we can do about it. This is not a partisan issue. We have both parties working on it.”
As part of the ongoing efforts to enhance security, a bipartisan task force has been created to investigate security failures and will hold its first hearing next week.
Meanwhile, the Enhanced Presidential Security Act requires 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.”
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