East Idaho Times

In the wake of a second assassination attempt on President Donald Trump within 65 days, U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) have introduced the Protect Our Presidents Act. This legislation aims to enhance U.S. Secret Service (USSS) protection for presidential nominees to match the level currently provided to a sitting U.S. President.

“Ideas we do not align with and policies we do not agree with are not threats to democracy. Allowing would-be assassins the opportunity to shoot a former president in the ear or to get within firing range to attempt to do so again within the span of just a few short weeks is,” said Crapo. “President Trump should have the same level of protective service he had while President, and so should all future presidential nominees from any party. This should not be political.”

“The two attempts on President Trump’s life and the failures of the U.S. Secret Service have put the threat of assassination at the forefront of Americans’ concerns,” said Risch. “With the Protect Our Presidents Act, we will ensure American Presidents and presidential candidates receive the highest level of security. We cannot let our guard down.”

“Over the course of just 65 days, two deranged individuals have tried to kill President Donald Trump, and one was able to shoot him in the head. It is unthinkable that this could happen in America today, and it demands the immediate action of Congress,” said Scott. “Today, I am leading 12 of my Republican colleagues to introduce the Protect Our Presidents Act, which mandates that the USSS provide the same level of protective services to presidential nominees that it affords to sitting presidents,” Scott continued. “President Trump has great officers and agents working around the clock to keep him safe, but it’s clear that the vile rhetoric on the left toward President Trump has made him a target and more resources are required to ensure his safety and that of his family. I urge Senate Democrats to join Republicans in quickly passing this bill that will support the protection of President Trump and all future presidential nominees.”

Crapo, Risch, and Scott are joined by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Tim Scott (R-South Carolina).

The Protect Our Presidents Act would:

1. Require USSS to provide presidential nominees with protection equivalent to that provided for sitting presidents.

2. Allow nominees to decline increased protection if they choose.

3. Mandate regular reporting:

- The USSS must brief key congressional leaders every 15 days during a presidential election year.

- Reports will include threat levels for each nominee, security measures implemented, associated costs, personnel assigned permanently, and any unmet security needs.