() This past weekend’s double shooting of lawmakers in Minnesota has fellow state and federal politicians across the country shaken and questioning their safety.
It was evident on Capitol Hill on Monday as Congress returned to start its week.
“We have to reevaluate how we are protecting members of Congress and staffs in the face of rising threats,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.
Schumer’s words come after Vance Boelter, 57, allegedly shot two Democratic state legislators and their spouses at their homes while disguised as a police officer. Boelter killed Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband and seriously wounded Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
Federal prosecutors said Boelter had gone to four homes as he sought to kill lawmakers. Boelter was captured on Sunday in Sibley County in south-central Minnesota.
Politicians are known to share their home addresses, but this latest incident has prompted them to rethink their home security. Several House Republicans told there was a growing concern about when they are threatened and that there was a “sense of complacency” with some of the Capitol reporting systems.
Rep. Tim Burchett told he plans to introduce legislation in response to the Minnesota shooting and other instances of political violence to expand how members can spend “representational allowance” funds to include all personal security.
As it stands, most members of Congress don’t have any security with them daily. Only those in leadership roles have a security detail with them at all times.
There have been several violent political incidents in recent years, going back to 2021. President Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump was impeached for his role in the riot. Republicans have acknowledged a number of the violent incidents of the past decade involved left-wing assailants targeting Republicans.
Trump, himself, barely escaped an assassination attempt last year in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a shooter whose motivation remains unknown.
In addition, in 2017 and 2022, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., and Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., were in harmful situations. Scalise nearly died after being shot by a gunman who opened fire during a GOP baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. Pelosi’s husband was severely beaten with a hammer by an intruder at the couple’s San Francisco home. Pelosi wasn’t home at the time. The intruder said he was planning to kidnap her.
An armed man was also arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home and charged with attempted murder.
The Senate sergeant-at-arms and Capitol Police are due to brief senators Tuesday. Capitol Police also have increased security for the Minnesota congressional delegation, several of whom investigators now say were on a “hit list” found in one of Boelter’s vehicles.
The Senate and House Democrats will be meeting separately to discuss security measures and what can be done when they receive threats. House Republicans already convened over the weekend for similar discussions.
