Risch, Crapo and Rick Scott Lead the Protect Our Presidents Act following the Trump assassination attempts

WASHINGTON, DC (KIFI) – The second assassination attempt on Donald Trump has pushed Senators Risch, Crapo, and others to seek protections for the former president.

“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.”

If the bill passes, it would elevate presidential nominees protection to that of a sitting U.S. president.

Senator Rick Scott who is leading the bill alongside Crapo and Risch, expressed concern about the frequency of assassination attempts.

“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. Today, I am leading 12 of my Republican colleagues to introduce the Protect Our Presidents Act, which mandates that the USSS (US Secret Service) provide the same level of protective services to presidential nominees that it affords to sitting presidents,” said Scott.

The concern for the safety of the former president is not exclusively a Senate concern however. Representative Russ Fulcher has also expressed concerns you can read about here: https://localnews8.com/news/top-stories/2024/09/19/trumps-security-ahead-of-election-day-a-top-concern-for-congressman-fulcher/

In the Senate however, the supporters of the Protect Our Presidents Act beyond Risch, Crapo and Scott are: John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

According to a press release from Senator Risch, the Protect Our Presidents Act would:

• Require the USSS to provide presidential nominees the same level of protection provided to the president, as well as any necessary protective measures.
  • The nominee may decline the increased protection if they so choose. 
• Mandate regular reporting:
  • The USSS must brief and report on the status of the presidential nominee’s protection to the Speaker of the House, the House Minority Leader, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee every 15 days during a presidential election year.
  • This report will include the threat level for each presidential nominee, the security measures being implemented, associated costs, the number of personnel permanently assigned to each protective detail, and any unmet security needs.