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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Lawmakers demand more security amid rise in assassination attempts
Members of Congress have increased funding for their own personal security expenses amid a chilling rise in attacks on lawmakers in recent months. A string of politically-charged threats and attacks in recent months have legislators on edge and fearing for their safety. A source on the House Administration Committee confirmed to the Daily Mail that there has been an increase to the resources available to members to fund security enhancements ahead of the August recess when lawmakers return to their districts and states to meet with constituents. This pilot program includes $20,000 for a residential security program for each member, up from $10,000, to allow them to install a comprehensive suite of security equipment at their residences, according to a document shared with the Daily Mail. Additionally, the document states that lawmakers will be provided $5,000 a month for personal security measures, a sizable increase from just $150. The cash for the security programs is coming from the chief law enforcement and protocol officer of the House, the House Sergeant at Arms (HSAA). The $5,000 stipend is already in place but expires at the end of FY2025 and would need a vote to be renewed. The $20,000 residential program does not have to be voted on again and is a 'lifetime' amount, the source confirmed. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, posted earlier this summer about being targeted in an antisemitic attack while driving. The individual, who drove Miller off the road while waving a Palestinian flag, later turned himself into authorities. 'The deranged hatred in this country has gotten out of control,' Miller wrote on X in June around the time of the attack. 'Today I was run off the road in Rocky River, and the life of me and my family was threatened by a person who proceeded to show a Palestinian flag before taking off.' Miller later announced that he asked the Capitol Police to investigate. The incident is just one of the thousands of threats that Capitol Police deal with annually, and members have asked congressional leadership to make a plan. Democrat Congressman Jared Moskowitz was the target of a gunman arrested last year, who lived under ten miles away from his Florida home. 'Someone's gonna get killed here. It almost was me,' Moskowitz told the Wall Street Journal. The additional funds couldn't be coming at a better time. The campaign office of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was vandalized with red paint resembling blood last week. A disturbing video made its rounds on X of the congresswoman's Bronx campaign headquarters being vandalized in red paint. A note was also attached to the front gate reading 'AOC Funds Genocide in Gaza .' The glass directly covering photograph of the congresswoman's face was entirely obscured by red paint as well. The unhinged action came days after AOC voted against an amendment proposed by MAGA Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to cut funding to Israel 's 'golden dome' air defense systems by $500 million. Members of Congress from both parties have been threatened in recent weeks. Florida Republican Kat Cammack shared last month that her district office had to be evacuated due to death threats she received following a Wall Street Journal story that detailed her experiences with an ectopic pregnancy last year. Cammack, 37, is currently pregnant and expecting her first child in mid-August. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the congresswoman spoke of 'imminent death threats against me, my unborn child, my family and my staff' based on her revealing her story about a 'nonviable pregnancy with no heartbeat.' The threats to Cammack came just over a week after a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband were assassinated at their home by a gunman.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Dramatic rise in assassination attempts has lawmakers demanding more security: 'Someone is gonna get killed here'
Members of Congress have increased funding for their own personal security expenses amid a chilling rise in attacks on lawmakers in recent months. A string of politically-charged threats and attacks in recent months have legislators on edge and fearing for their safety. A source on the House Administration Committee confirmed to the Daily Mail that there has been an increase to the resources available to members to fund security enhancements ahead of the August recess when lawmakers return to their districts and states to meet with constituents. This pilot program includes $20,000 for a residential security program for each member, up from $10,000, to allow them to install a comprehensive suite of security equipment at their residences, according to a document shared with the Daily Mail. Additionally, the document states that lawmakers will be provided $5,000 a month for personal security measures, a sizable increase from just $150. The cash for the security programs is coming from the chief law enforcement and protocol officer of the House, the House Sergeant at Arms (HSAA). The $5,000 stipend is already in place but expires at the end of FY2025 and would need a vote to be renewed. The $20,000 residential program does not have to be voted on again and is a 'lifetime' amount, the source confirmed. Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, posted earlier this summer about being targeted in an antisemitic attack while driving. The individual, who drove Miller off the road while waving a Palestinian flag, later turned himself into authorities. The deranged hatred in this country has gotten out of control. Today I was run off the road in Rocky River, and the life of me and my family was threatened by a person who proceeded to show a Palestinian flag before taking off. I have filed a police report with Capitol Police and… — Max Miller (@MaxMillerOH) June 19, 2025 'The deranged hatred in this country has gotten out of control,' Miller wrote on X in June around the time of the attack. 'Today I was run off the road in Rocky River, and the life of me and my family was threatened by a person who proceeded to show a Palestinian flag before taking off.' Miller later announced that he asked the Capitol Police to investigate. The incident is just one of the thousands of threats that Capitol Police deal with annually, and members have asked congressional leadership to make a plan. Democrat Congressman Jared Moskowitz was the target of a gunman arrested last year, who lived under ten miles away from his Florida home. 'Someone's gonna get killed here. It almost was me,' Moskowitz told the Wall Street Journal. The additional funds couldn't be coming at a better time. The campaign office of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was vandalized with red paint resembling blood last week. A disturbing video made its rounds on X of the congresswoman's Bronx campaign headquarters being vandalized in red paint. A note was also attached to the front gate reading 'AOC Funds Genocide in Gaza.' The glass directly covering photograph of the congresswoman's face was entirely obscured by red paint as well. The unhinged action came days after AOC voted against an amendment proposed by MAGA Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to cut funding to Israel 's 'golden dome' air defense systems by $500 million. Members of Congress from both parties have been threatened in recent weeks. Florida Republican Kat Cammack shared last month that her district office had to be evacuated due to death threats she received following a Wall Street Journal story which detailed her experiences with an ectopic pregnancy last year. Cammack, 37, is currently pregnant and expecting her first child in mid-August. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the congresswoman spoke of 'imminent death threats against me, my unborn child, my family and my staff' based on her revealing her story about a 'nonviable pregnancy with no heartbeat.' The threats to Cammack came just over a week after a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband were assassinated at their home by a gunman. Melissa Hortman, a Democratic former Speaker of the Minnesota House, and her husband were killed after the assailant pretended to be a cop at their front door. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was also the target of an arson attack in April when a man set fire to the governor's residence.
The Hill
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
House beefs up security funds for lawmakers
House leaders are beefing up security measures and funding for members of the chamber as political violence and threats have shaken lawmakers preparing to leave for their August recess. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) announced the changes to Republican members on Tuesday in their last conference meeting ahead of the August recess. The changes are effective immediately. Johnson, who added that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) also informed his members of the changes on Tuesday, told reporters that the changes are part of a 'pilot program' over the next two months. After September, Johnson said, leaders will 'evaluate all the data points, see how effective it was, how it was utilized, and then make decisions going forward.' Included in the changes is a doubling of the amount of funds members may use to install security equipment at their personal residences, from $10,000 to $20,000. A one-pager from the House Administration Committee distributed to member offices explaining the change said the boost was to 'allow for a more comprehensive suite of security equipment' and 'address rising costs in security equipment since the start of the program.' Members have had access to those lifetime 'Residential Security Program' funds since the program was established in August 2022, when Democrats controlled the House and faced an increase in threats in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. There is also a drastic increase in the 'monitoring and maintenance allotment' for members, who would be allowed to use it to hire licensed and insured personal security guards. The allotment is increasing from $150 to $5,000 per month for the remainder of fiscal year 2025, which ends on Sept. 30, according to the one-pager. 'Security personnel could accompany the Member in their district or home states or protect the Member's residence. The Member would choose the proposed individual or company and certify that they are appropriately licensed and insured. Like the current Residential Security model, the Member would personally enter the contract and have the option of reimbursement or direct payment,' the one-pager said. And finally, the House Administration Committee said Capitol Police will be directed to work with local law enforcement agencies to coordinate and provide additional protection for members 'should a threat arise,' and that Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan will be asked to 'draft a letter to the National Association of Chiefs of Police requesting their support in protecting Members.' The changes come a month after a man shot and killed a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband, and shot another lawmaker in Minnesota, rattling lawmakers and renewing calls for increased security for members. The U.S. Capitol Police said in February that threats against members of Congress more than doubled from 2017 to 2024. The agency said it investigated more than 9,474 'concerning statements and direct threats' against lawmakers, their families and staff in 2024. 'We live in an enhanced threat environment,' Johnson said, also mentioning an intern for Sen. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) who was shot and killed in Washington, D.C. this month. 'Just an unspeakable tragedy,' Johnson told reporters. 'This is a dangerous city, and it begs the question about what Congress might need to do with regard to D.C. and the crime. But all these things are related. We have to protect member security and everybody who works here on the hill, so be careful.'
Politico
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
AOC's campaign office vandalized with anti-Israel message
Representatives for the New York Police Department and Capitol Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Video captured by local news outlets in New York showed the message 'AOC funds genocide in Gaza' written on a sign hanging in front of her campaign office in the Bronx, along with red paint splattered on the building's face. Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly criticized Israel's military campaign in Gaza, including labelling it a 'genocide.' But on Friday, she voted against an amendment to the defense spending bill offered by Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Green that would have stripped funding for Israel's missile defense systems. Ocasio-Cortez ultimately voted against the defense spending bill. Her vote on the amendment provoked pushback from progressives. In a statement following the vote, the Democratic Socialists of America condemned her opposition to the amendment, which they view as support for Israel's 'eliminationist campaign against the Palestinian people.' 'The fact that Representative Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges that Israel is carrying out this genocide makes her support for military aid all the more disappointing and incongruous,' the statement said. Ocasio-Cortez defended her vote in a statement on social media, arguing that the amendment would have perpetuated the war in Gaza by cutting funding for Israel's defense systems without forcing an end to the larger military campaign launched in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas. 'I have long stated that I do not believe that adding to the death count of innocent victims to this war is constructive to its end,' she wrote on X. 'I remain focused on cutting the flow of US munitions that are being used to perpetuate the genocide in Gaza.'
Washington Post
16-07-2025
- Washington Post
Man arrested after bow and arrow, guns, sword found in car near Capitol
The U.S. Capitol Police arrested an Oregon man Wednesday on the ground of the Capitol after finding a vehicle loaded with weapons and ammunition. Around 9 a.m., officers with the department's First Responders Unit came across a red Subaru Outback, with a tricycle strapped to the roof, parked without the proper permit in a lot reserved for congressional staff. Police said officers saw what appeared to be a knife, an empty pistol holder, and a bow and arrow inside the vehicle. They identified the vehicle's owner as 23-year-old Nolan Churan. He was later found unarmed outside the Capitol's north barricade and told Capitol Police that there were guns in his car. A D.C. police dog signaled to officers the presence of firearms and ammunition in the vehicle. Capitol Police searched the vehicle and retrieved a rifle, a handgun, multiple rounds of ammunition, knives, axes, a rapier sword, a halberd, and a bow and arrow. Churan faces multiple weapons charges, including carrying guns without a license, possession of a sword and possession of a high-capacity ammunition feeding device. Capitol Police said they are working to figure out why Churan was at the Capitol.
