Threats against members of Congress are on pace to reach a record high, according to Capitol Police Chief Steven A. Sund on Tuesday.
“We continue to see the threat assessment cases that we’re opening continue to grow,” Sund said. “For fiscal year 2018, we had approximately 4,894 cases. So far, for this year, we have 2,502 cases. So we’re on par to probably break last year’s.”
According to Roll Call, House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, sent a letter to the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Michael C. Stenger, who leads the Capitol Police Board. This letter requested Stenger to hold an emergency meeting to reexamine the board’s approach to security; specifically its procedures in analyzing the risk environment, setting thresholds for enhanced security for certain targeted members and evaluating threat streams with law enforcement partners in member districts.
Thompson’s letter comes in response to President Trump’s recent tweets against Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Talib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.
“On Sunday, July 14, 2019, President Trump used social media to directly attack four members of Congress,” Thompson wrote. “To date, Trump continues to use social media to vilify these four members.”
He continued saying that “the president’s rhetoric may insinuate more attacks on members of Congress.”
House Sergeant-at-Arms Paul D. Irving said that it is their practice to offer increased security as members of Congress become more prominent in the media.
“But we’ve been more proactive in reaching out to members to ensure that they all avail themselves of that service that we provide,” Irving said, adding that has been the practice for “at least the last several years.”
Several notable Republicans added their personal gratefulness for the work of Capitol Police during Tuesday’s hearing in the House Administration Committee.
“We firsthand witnessed not only the aggression toward us — the shots being fired — but also the bravery by the Capitol Police officers,” said Republican Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk, who was at the GOP baseball practice two years ago when a gunman opened fire on them.
Republican Illinois Rep. Rodney Davis, who was also at practice during the same shooting, notably remarked that, “I wouldn’t be standing here today” without the bravery of Capitol Police.
