The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a bill to strengthen Secret Service protection for presidential candidates following a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Introduced by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY), H.R.9106, or the Enhanced Presidential Security Act of 2024, was created in response to Thomas Matthew Crooks’ shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13. The bill had previously been approved by the House in a unanimous vote of 405-0.
Lawler expressed his satisfaction with the Senate’s decision via X, stating that “Elections should be decided at the ballot box, not by an assassin.” He further explained that the bill is now headed to Presidential Executive Office for signature. The proposed legislation will ensure that the same standards used in determining the number of agents needed to protect the president and vice president are applied to presidential and vice presidential candidates as well.
Moreover, the bill mandates a comprehensive review of the Secret Service’s protection provision for Presidents, Vice Presidents, former Presidents, and major Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates. The Secret Service will be required to submit a report with their findings and recommendations on how protection could be improved to both the House Judiciary Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee.
The passage of this bill follows closely after Ryan Wesley Routh’s apprehension by the Secret Service for possessing an AK-style rifle while hiding in bushes near Trump International Golf Course West Palm Beach on September 15, where Trump had been playing golf. The bill aims to strengthen security measures around presidential candidates and prevent such dangerous incidents from happening in the future.