Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are reexamining their security protocols after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters Thursday that the lower chamber is moving forward with a planned review of member security that was started in the aftermath of the shooting of two state Minnesota Democrats earlier this year.
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“We are in a deliberate review process right now to determine what measures are appropriate, how much we could allocate for that,” Johnson said. “We’ve gotta protect people who run for public office, or no one will.”
Political violence has increased in recent years. In 2024 alone, the U.S. Capitol Police investigated 9,474 threats against lawmakers, family members, and staff, compared to 8,008 in 2023 and 7,501 in 2022.
The House previously initiated a pilot program increasing the allotment members receive for security from $150 to $5,000 per month until the end of September. The program also increased the budget members receive for home security from $10,000 to $20,000.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) reportedly said that the Senate is similarly discussing extending increased security to its members, in which each senator would receive a security detail in their home state.
The fatal shooting of the Turning Point USA founder, which occurred during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University, has set off a maelstrom of concerns for lawmakers in an era of increased political violence.
Johnson confirmed several members of Congress have approached him about participating in the pilot program in the aftermath of the shooting. Before, only about 20 members had expressed an interest in getting the increased security funding.
However, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who got into an altercation with a protester last week, said House leadership is “woefully ill-prepared” regarding member safety.
“I’d hope leadership would take this seriously,” Burchett said. “Both parties, they enjoy a little circle of security, so it’s kind of hard for them to even visualize it.… I think we’ve gotta reevaluate what we’re doing. We always overreact after an event happens. We need to react prior to the event happening.”
When asked if he feels safe on Capitol Hill, Burchett said, “Heck no.”
Reps. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Kevin Hern (R-OK) told reporters that, as a result of the shooting, they were reevaluating whether to hold events outdoors in the future. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) reportedly has canceled an event in North Carolina for security reasons and out of respect for Kirk’s death.
Mace told reporters Thursday that she has been in contact with the House sergeant-at-arms, who told her they would be “providing more security protocols and advice for our office.”
However, she said that the assurances were “not enough.”
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“I hope every elected official across the country, regardless of the politics, I hope that we all will take this seriously, because lives are in danger,” Mace said.
Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) told the Washington Examiner that while he has not canceled any plans, he is “reexamining some issues in the district security.”