SECURITY BLANKET

House Votes to Boost Security for Trump and Harris

A second apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump spurred urgent legislative action.

Two months after Donald Trump was shot at a rally, lawmakers are finally addressing the need for heightened security for presidential candidates following another apparent attempt on Trump's life. The House on Friday unanimously passed a bill that would increase Secret Service protection for Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. The bill would give Trump and Harris—and future presidential candidates—the same level of Secret Service protection as sitting presidents and vice presidents. The agency would be required to use the “same standards” for determining the number of agents needed to protect both major party presidential candidates just as presidents and vice presidents. The bipartisan bill was originally introduced in July, but gained urgency after a man with a gun targeted Trump at his golf course last weekend. The U.S. Secret Service says Trump, as a former president, already had a level of security commensurate with President Joe Biden during that incident, but the new legislation will affect future candidates’ protection as well. The bill still needs approval from the Senate and a signature from Biden before it becomes law. A different bill will determine whether the agency gets more funding.