What we can say for sure is, the problems are layered. From funding the United States Secret Service to conducting investigations, Congress plays an important role in uncovering the disastrous missteps, particularly of the Biden Administration.
During my time as House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman, I was responsible for funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has jurisdiction over the Secret Service.
When drafting the Fiscal Year 2024 homeland security appropriations bill, I recognized the need for the Secret Service to have adequate resources, particularly during an election year when there would be more public appearances by both candidates. However, President Biden’s official budget request for Secret Service funding failed to budget for these necessities.
Understanding this reality, I drafted my homeland security appropriations bill to include an additional $5 million above the President’s budget request, which was also $40 million more than what the Democrat-led Senate’s appropriations bill provided. With House Republicans stressing the need for Secret Service funding, I successfully passed my bill in the House and then negotiated with the Senate and White House to provide the Secret Service with a substantial increase in funding from the previous year in our final government funding agreement that was signed into law.
House Republicans delivered by providing Secret Service significant funding and resources to protect U.S. officials, shield U.S. election candidates and nominees from harm, and ensure public safety at high profile events. Yet, their most sacred mission failed on July 13th.
Immediately, Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer subpoenaed Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, now former after her overdue resignation, to testify before his committee. The House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman has also requested that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas provide testimony to his committee. In response to Chairman Comer’s request, Secretary Mayorkas reportedly tried to block Director Cheatle from testifying.
In failing to protect President Trump, Secretary Mayorkas and Director Cheatle have failed to protect our democracy. This dereliction of duty is a troubling pattern in this Administration, and DHS continues to be at the forefront of many of these failures.
During Secretary Mayorkas’ tenure, America has experienced a crisis at our southern border that has emboldened cartels, increased the flow of fentanyl, and risked the lives of Americans. Instead of taking action to ensure the safety of Americans, the Secretary has willfully and systemically refused to enforce the law and policy initiatives established under the Trump Administration that were proven to make our border more secure.
I, and the majority of House Republicans, voted to impeach Secretary Mayorkas for his actions misleading Congress and Americans. Unfortunately, the Senate’s unwillingness to thoughtfully consider the impeachment, coupled with President Biden’s repeated refusal to hold anyone in his Administration accountable for abject failures, is leaving us no choice but to go down this path, yet again.
Congress needs answers on what transpired in the days leading up to the assassination attempt, the actions taken at the event, and the steps being taken now to prevent such a disaster in the future. Moreover, the American people, those injured on July 13th, and Corey Comperatore’s family deserve them.
Despite the leadership failures at the rally, I am grateful to the frontline Secret Service agents who risked their lives to protect the President, putting themselves directly in harm’s way as the attack unfolded.
Political violence, in any form, is indefensible. Regardless of your party, it threatens the principles upon which this nation was built. Let this serve as a reminder that we are all Americans who must unite in the wake of this somber day. Only through an extensive investigation and responsible cooperation can we safeguard our values and prevent further violence that threatens not only candidates, but the nation we hold dear.
U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, a Republican, represents Ohio’s 14th Congressional House District.
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