Washington lawmakers received a security briefing from the Sergeant at Arms and the U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday, as anxiety wracks Capitol Hill following the weekend assassination of a state legislator in Minnesota.
"The Capitol police and the [Senate] Sergeant at Arms gave a very detailed discussion about how they can protect members here, back in our states, in our homes, in our offices," Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "The violences, the threats against elected officials, including people in the Senate, has dramatically increase."
"That means we need more protection," he added. "We need more money."
The accused shooter, Vance Boelter, faces federal and state murder charges. He is alleged to have broken into the house of Minnesota Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman, killing her and her husband. He also allegedly shot Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman (D) and his wife, Yvette, both of whom were injured but survived.
Boelter is accused of leaving behind a hit list with dozens of Democratic lawmaker names, including Sens. Tina Smith (Minn.) and Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), as well as Reps. Ilhan Omar (Minn.), Angie Craig (Minn.) and Kelly Morrison (Minn.), according to Axios.
The list also included lawmakers outside of Minnesota, including Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Reps. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Texas).
Scholten canceled a planned town hall in Michigan on Monday "out of an abundance of caution and to not divert additional law enforcement resources away from protecting the broader public at this time."
State lawmakers across the country are looking to have their addresses taken offline.
President Trump has denounced the shootings, but says he has no intention of calling Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).
"I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out. I'm not calling," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back from the Group of Seven (G7) summit. "Why would I call him?"
"The guy doesn't have a clue," Trump added. "He's a mess. So, you know, I could be nice and call, but why waste time?"
A Walz spokesperson responded: "Governor Walz wishes that President Trump would be a President for all Americans, but this tragedy isn't about Trump or Walz. It's about the Hortman family, the Hoffman family, & the State of Minnesota, and the Governor remains focused on helping all three heal."
MEANWHILE…
• Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Tuesday deleted social media posts blaming the left for the fatal shootings.
A day earlier, Smith, the Democratic senator from Minnesota, confronted Lee over of the posts.
Smith told reporters she wanted Lee to hear from her directly "about how painful that was and how brutal that was to see that on what was just a horrible, brutal weekend."
Lee was mum on the issue when he was swarmed by reporters about it Tuesday.
• New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (D), a candidate for mayor, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents Tuesday as he guided a defendant out of immigration court.
Video of the incident shows Lander locking arms with the defendant as ICE agents approached.
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) grew tearful on the floor the Senate on Tuesday as he recounted how he was handcuffed after disrupting a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem last week.
"I was forced to the ground, first on my knees and then flat on my chest, and as I was handcuffed and marched down a hallway, repeatedly asking why I was being detained - not once did they tell me why," Padilla said. "I pray you never have a moment like this."
ELSEWHERE…
• A Georgia man was arraigned Monday on charges he made violent threats against Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).
• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said a man with a gun threatened a lawmaker at the state Capitol.
"This is a cultural crisis in America," former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said on CNN. "You have CEOs that are being assassinated, judges that are being targeted, the goalposts of morality, really, since 2020, have moved where people think, 'As long as it's in the name of my social social justice, it's OK.' But it's not."
No comments:
Post a Comment