A series of high-profile security incidents has shaken members of Congress and prompted Capitol security officials to take serious steps to beef up lawmakers’ security.
Why it matters: Threats against lawmakers have skyrocketed in recent years, and many are still reeling from the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
The news: The House sergeant-at-arms on Wednesday announced plans to cover the cost of security upgrades to members’ homes, including $10,000 for equipment and installation costs and $150 a month for monitoring and maintenance.
- The development came just weeks after a man was arrested for threatening Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) outside her home while armed with a gun.
- Most recently, Rep. Lee Zeldin (RN.Y.), who is running for governor of New York, was attacked by a man wielding a sharp object at a campaign event.
What they’re saying: Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who chairs an appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Capitol Police, told Axios that “everyone is on high alert” after these incidents.
- “The threats are real, the increases are incredible,” he said. “We have to do everything we can to make sure people are safe. There are many wild cats.’
- Ryan said Capitol Police and the sergeant-at-arms are doing enough to keep members safe “for now,” but added, “We still have a lot of work to do.”
- A Capitol Police spokesperson told Axios they “cannot discuss what we can or cannot do to protect members.”
The other side: Jayapal said he doesn’t think security officials are doing enough. “I think we need a lot more. And you know, I learned a lot by going through that,” she told Axios.
- Jayapal said the allocation of a sergeant-at-arms was a “good step” but that it wanted “a pool of money [for] when we really have a serious threat in our residences.”
- After being threatened outside her home, she said she received an estimate that recommended $50,000 – $60,000 for security improvements.
- She also said security officers should help scrub members’ addresses from the Internet and improve their communication with members’ offices.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (DN.Y.), who has received many death threats, wants a fundamental change in member security.
- “If you are in a certain committee, if you have a certain [leadership] title, your security is already taken care of. But increasingly we have … rank and file members, not just me but many others, who are under increasing threats,” she told Axios.
- There should be “an assessment of the actual threat environment for each individual member,” she said.
- Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the ranking member of the House Administration Committee, told Axios, “Zeldin almost got stabbed — he should have had the Capitol Police immediately go to New York to protect him. ”
The background: Capitol security and law enforcement were taking no chances with Thursday’s congressional baseball game, which has been subject to violence in the past.
- The event was targeted this year by climate protesters vowing to “shut down” the game.
- In response, D.C. police stepped up security for the game, Capitol police urged protesters to stay away, and the House sergeant-at-arms sent a memo to offices assuring them that a “comprehensive security plan is in place.”
- The demonstration resulted in several arrests, but no violence.
Add Comment