The acting director of the Secret Service told senators scrutinizing the agency’s budget that the near assassination of former President Trump wasn’t caused by insufficient funding, Roll Call reports. “While the reviews and investigations are ongoing, we do not believe the security failure of July 13, 2024 was the result of a lack of resources,” Ron Rowe wrote. Sens. Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Katie Britt (R-AL), the top Senate appropriators for homeland security, had asked the Secret Service about its level of resources amid the 2024 election campaign and whether insufficient funds have stymied the agency. The Homeland Security spending bill is the only fiscal 2025 title the Senate Appropriations Committee has not advanced. The House passed its version of the legislation in June.
The senators asked questions about the protection costs for the duration of the 2024 presidential election. Most of the answers Secret Service provided were put in an attachment. The agency requested that the information not be disclosed publicly because they contain sensitive law enforcement information such as protective techniques and protocols. Rowe did not shut the door on the potential for additional funds. With the elevated threats, Secret Service has had to expand its capabilities to provide protection in the current environment, Rowe wrote. “We have taken necessary steps to meet the operational tempo of the protective mission today, but the increased mission requirements of the Secret Service necessitate additional resources to ensure that we have the tools, resources and personnel needed to meet these requirements and execute our mission going forward,” Rowe said.
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