US: Charlie Kirk shooting triggers debate over enhanced lawmaker security funding

WASHINGTON: The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has intensified calls in Washington for increased funding for lawmakers’ security, with concerns rising as the September 30 deadline for a government funding deal approaches, according to The Hill.

Members on both sides of the aisle have expressed heightened security concerns following the shooting, amid growing fears over political violence.

“We’re in a deliberate review process right now to determine what measures are appropriate, how much we could allocate for that,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters on Thursday. “We’ve got to protect people who run for public office or no one will, and that’s heavy on our hearts and minds.”

With less than three weeks before a potential government shutdown, some lawmakers said Thursday that member security should be included in the spending debate. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) responded affirmatively when asked, “I do,” while Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said, “I don’t know what House Administration, the Speaker and other folks are going to do, but I think every precaution that can be made should be afforded members,” The Hill reported.

However, some members expressed skepticism over whether additional funding could prevent such attacks. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) noted that the shooter who killed Kirk was about 200 yards away and questioned if any level of security, short of a presidential-level Secret Service detail, could have stopped it.

“He could have had 30 security guards and no one would have seen a guy on a roof. That’s a Secret Service kind of thing, with drones,” Comer said. “You can’t spend enough money to have security like that.”

The debate coincides with efforts in the House to formally conference a batch of full-year funding plans for fiscal year 2026, including the legislative branch funding bill. The measure, traditionally the smallest of the 12 annual funding bills, was prioritized for bicameral conference as appropriators sought to make progress on less contentious proposals ahead of the September 30 shutdown, The Hill reported.

Concerns over member safety, heightened by recent attacks on political figures, could bring more attention to the bill in the coming weeks. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill.) expressed strong support for enhanced security, stating, “Without a doubt. And I think there’s general agreement across the aisle.” On the timing, he added, “It could, and I think it should.”

Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) also backed additional security, saying, “I hope so. I really and truly do.” She cited data showing that last year, there were 9,000 recorded threats against members, while this year, 14,000 have already been reported.

House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said Thursday it is “too soon” to determine how concerns over members’ safety will affect funding negotiations for House operations.

“We’re trying to come to common agreement on both the [continuing resolution] and, hopefully, we can attach some bills,” he told The Hill. “We don’t know if that’s possible yet, but that would be a very good sign for the country, if we could do something positive in the wake of all this.”

House Republicans could soon release text for a stopgap funding bill, also known as a continuing resolution, to keep the government open on October 1 and allow more time for fiscal 2026 funding talks. Cole said the hope is to see floor action next week.

Asked if additional funding for members’ security could be included in the forthcoming stopgap plan, Cole suggested that leadership would decide.

“I don’t know. I mean, obviously things have dramatically changed since yesterday’s tragedy,” he said. “I would think that would be a discussion between the two leadership teams. We’ll do whatever they ask us to do.”

Johnson added that a “very thorough review” is underway to examine existing security options and potential enhancements, while noting the costs involved.

“We’ve seen estimates that if you provided a complete, full security detail, as it’s known, to every 435 members of the House, I mean, it would cost billions of dollars,” he said. “And we’d have to hire about 5,000 additional federal police. So, I mean, that’s not, it’s not even a possibility,” Johnson added. “But we’re looking at all angles.”

He highlighted a pilot program launched last month, which increased funding for the members’ Residential Security Program, including monitoring and maintenance allotments through late September that could also be used for personal security services.

Johnson said the program allows members to hire “personal security when they’re on the road or doing events in their district.” A Republican staffer familiar with the initiative told The Hill that a notice about the program was also sent to members’ staff following the Wednesday shooting.

“Surprisingly, it was not heavily taken advantage of during the August district work period,” the staffer said. (ANI)