The weekend shootings of the Minnesota lawmakers profoundly rattled House and Senate Members, prompting immediate action to reassess security protocols. Lawmakers are now receiving briefings on safety measures, with discussions about increasing individual office budgets for security and potential legislative actions to enhance protection, including anti-doxxing laws and a proposed secret session to debate security strategies.
One idea was to force House Speaker Mike Johnson to let Member offices have even more flexibility to use money allocated for their operation toward additional security measures, which could allow individual offices to hire full-time protective details. However, some lawmakers argued that there is a need to be proactive rather than reactive, emphasizing the importance of implementing preventive measures over responding to threats after the fact.
There have also been discussions about scrubbing the personal information of lawmakers from the web to prevent potential threats, with some lawmakers advocating for anti-doxxing legislation. Rep. Jared Moskowitz is also considering a resolution to move the House into a ‘Secret Session’ to debate the appropriate approach for congressional security. Such a session would require a vote and would involve staff signing an oath of secrecy, marking a significant step towards addressing the security concerns faced by lawmakers.
Despite these discussions, there is a lack of consensus on the best approach to ensure the safety of all members and their families across 435 districts. Security officials and GOP sources noted that there is also criticism from some members who do not take advantage of current security programs, highlighting the need for a more unified and proactive strategy to protect lawmakers in the wake of the Minnesota shootings.