The Trump administration has reached out to Congress to request an extra $58 million for security measures to safeguard the executive and judicial branches, following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, as confirmed by a leadership aide to NBC News on Sunday.
The administration is also in favor of increased funding to protect Congress members but has left the implementation details to the legislative branch, the aide shared with NBC News.
This request is timely as both Republicans and Democrats are negotiating a temporary funding bill. Simultaneously, lawmakers have been enhancing their personal security, moving events indoors, or canceling them in the wake of Kirk’s killing in Utah and a rise in political violence overall.
Kirk’s assassination is one among several recent violent incidents, including the murder of Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, the injury of her Democratic colleague and spouse, an arson attempt on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home, and two assassination attempts on President Donald Trump last summer.
Punchbowl News first reported the administration’s request.
House Democrats are planning a virtual briefing on Sunday with the House sergeant at arms and the Capitol Police chief to discuss the security of members, as per an invitation seen by NBC News.
The invitation was also extended to members’ spouses or significant others.
In response to the news about the additional funding request on Sunday, some lawmakers have shown support for the measure, expressing hope that Congress will take action and consent to increase security funding, pointing to the escalation of political violence.
“I hope we will invest in securing our public life, because incidents like this tragedy in Utah, like the murder of Melissa and her husband, Mark Hortman, in Minnesota, frankly, fuel further anger in our country. And the ways in which folks are then taking the horrific images of these incidents and propagating them on the internet adds fuel to the fire,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Sunday during a joint interview with Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Lankford agreed with Coons’ remarks, saying the funding goes beyond protecting individuals and also safeguards the country’s ability to have civil discourse.
“When we’re talking about protecting judges and protecting individuals, it’s not just their personal safety. It is really declaring to the nation that we believe that these tasks are hard, that there should be intense debate, that we have very different perspectives,” Lankford said.
