House bill lets Secret Service cover local costs of protecting Trump

A bill introduced in the House would allow the Secret Service to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for the costs of protecting President Trump.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) reintroduced a bill from last Congress that, if passed, would provide assistance to groups in Florida, New Jersey and New York as they have bolstered security at his residences after his assassination attempt last July.

“The Secret Service relies on strong collaboration with local law enforcement to fulfill its mission effectively,” Kean said in a statement. “Currently, much of that responsibility falls on small-town taxpayers and local budgets. We must ensure our local law enforcement has the resources they need to do their job successfully.”

While Trump campaigned at a rally in Butler, Pa., in mid-July, a gunman opened fire, striking the president in the ear. Secret Service and local law enforcement were sharply criticized for the incident over miscommunications and a lack of planning.

Weeks later, Secret Service noticed a man with a rifle pointed through the perimeter of Trump’s West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course.

The president had since been staffed with more law enforcement, and various precautions were taken while he was still campaigning.

Kean said he was introducing the bill because the local agencies where Trump has property, including his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump Tower in New York and the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, which is in the congressman’s district, need support.

Palm Beach County predicted its presidential security bill will be more than $45 million this year and could be even higher if Trump continues to visit Mar-a-Lago most weekends, which he has done since returning to the White House, The Palm Beach Post reported.

Kean said he was reintroducing the legislation, which stalled in the House last year, to ensure “necessary funding is readily available to support every security operation.”

Kean was joined by Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), whose district includes Mar-a-Lago, in sponsoring the bill.

“Local communities operate with limited budgets, and diverting critical resources to cover the cost of protecting the President significantly impacts their capabilities,” Frankel said in a statement. “That’s why I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan legislation with Rep. Kean Jr., ensuring much-needed federal support so local law enforcement agencies are fully reimbursed for these essential expenses.”

Topics

Trump says Hunter Biden will no longer get Secret Service protection

President Trump said Monday that two of President Biden's children — Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden — would no longer receive protection from the Secret Service. "Please be advised that, effective ...
The Hill - 2d
Trump revokes Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden

The president extended Secret Service protection for his own children before he left office in 2021.
CBS News - 2d
Trump is ending Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden

President Donald Trump is ending U.S. Secret Service protection for former President Joe Biden's adult children, Hunter and Ashley Biden.
ABC News - 1d
Trump says he's ending Secret Service protection for Biden's adult children

President Donald Trump said Monday he was ending “immediately” the Secret Service protection details assigned to Joe Biden’s adult children, which the former president had extended for six months ...
ABC News - 2d
Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduces bill to impede Trump's undocumented migrant registry

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., introduced a bill Friday that would prevent the Trump administration from using a World War II-era law that allowed for the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans ...
NBC News - 5d
Secret Service shoots man near White House

United States Secret Service personnel shot a man near the White House on Sunday following an “armed confrontation with law enforcement,” a spokesperson said in a statement. Secret Service ...
The Hill - Mar. 9
Secret Service shoots armed man in confrontation near White House

The U.S. Secret Service shot an adult male near the White House in Washington, D.C., shortly after midnight on Sunday after an “armed confrontation” with law enforcement, according to the agency.
NBC News - Mar. 9
Secret Service shoots armed man in confrontation near White House

The U.S. Secret Service shot an adult male near the White House in Washington, D.C., shortly after midnight on Sunday after an “armed confrontation” with law enforcement, according to the agency. ...
NBC News - Mar. 9
Trump to end Secret Service protection for Hunter and Ashley Biden

When President Joe Biden took office, he extended protections to Trump’s adult children for six months.
NBC News - 2d