Congressional task force formed on Trump assassination attempt
On July 23, House Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jefferies announced the formation of the task force.
On July 23, House Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Jefferies announced the formation of a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Here are the details.
On July 22, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA ) filed H. Res. 1367 - Establishing the Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump.
"...investigate and fully examine all actions by any agency, Department, officer, or employee of the federal government, as well as State and local law enforcement or any other State or local government or private entities or individuals, related to the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania."
H.R. 1367 was then referred to House Committee on Rules. (PDF) The House Rules Committee is the oldest standing committee and is chaired by Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX).
The House Committee on Rules issued a July 25 press release, formally announcing the formation of the task force:
House Establishes Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump
July 25, 2024
Press Release
WASHINGTON D.C. – Yesterday, by a vote of 416-0, the House of Representatives voted to establish a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump. Chairman Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) brought the measure to the floor as part of the House Rules Committee's original jurisdiction."July 13th's would-be assassin came within a millimeter of altering the course of this election, American history, and geopolitics," said Burgess. "It is simply unacceptable a man was able to fire on the former president despite being identified by the Secret Service as a potential threat for more than fifty minutes. I'm thankful the People's House overwhelmingly voted to form this bipartisan task force and I have no doubt they will uncover the unvarnished truth. Americans deserve to have confidence that elections cannot be altered by political violence."
Background
On Saturday, July 13th, Thomas Matthew Crooks fired eight rounds directed at President Donald J. Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president was shot in the face, two spectators were injured, and a loving father, Corey Comperatore, tragically lost his life.After the incident, disturbing security lapses by the U.S. Secret Service came to light. The gunman used a drone to plan his attack and was observed with a rangefinder before the shooting. In total, Crooks was known to be a potential threat more than fifty minutes before he opened fire from an elevated rooftop previously identified as a security risk. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle faced widespread condemnation from both sides of the aisle and resigned on Tuesday.
More To The Story
July 29, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies release the names of those serving on the task force; 7 Republicans and 6 Democrats.
“We have the utmost confidence in this bipartisan group of steady, highly qualified and capable Members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability and help make certain such failures never happen again,” said Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries in the release.
Republican Members of the Task Force:
Chairman Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-16) represents Pennsylvania’s 16th District and resides in his hometown of Butler, the location of the assassination attempt. He has longstanding ties to the local law enforcement community, is the author of the resolution creating the Task Force and will serve as its chairman.
Rep. Mark Green (TN-07) is a former U.S. Army major, combat veteran and E.R. physician. He is the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
Rep. David Joyce (OH-14) served as an attorney and county prosecutor for 25 years and is former Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.
Rep. Laurel Lee (FL-15) is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, a former judge for Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit and former Florida Secretary of State. She serves on the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees.
Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06) is retired from the U.S. Army Special Forces and is a former White House and Pentagon advisor. He serves on the Intelligence, Armed Services and Oversight Committees.
Rep. Clay Higgins (LA-03) is a former U.S. Army staff sergeant and former law enforcement officer who maintains an active commission and Peace Officer’s Standards and Training (POST) certification. He serves on the Homeland Security and Oversight Committees.
Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04) is a former U.S. Air Force officer, and serves on the Oversight and Armed Services Committees, and their respective subcommittees dealing with Tactical Air and Land Forces and National Security.
Democratic Members of the Task Force:
Ranking Member Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06) is a decorated former Army Ranger having served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Rep. Crow was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his heroism in Iraq. He is a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46) is a senior Member of the House Judiciary and the House Homeland Security Committees, where he sits on the Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement & Intelligence Subcommittee. In that capacity, Rep. Correa recently traveled to Butler, PA to visit the site of the assassination attempt.
Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) currently serves on the House Judiciary and House Foreign Affairs Committees and is a longtime Pennsylvania public servant, having served in the State House for six and a half years before coming to Congress.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) is a veteran of the United States Air Force and currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Rep. Glenn Ivey (MD-04) is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County who now serves on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Ethics Committees.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) is the former Florida Director of Emergency Management, where he oversaw both disaster response and after-action analysis. He serves on the House Oversight and Accountability and Foreign Affairs Committees.
According to the release, the task force will have subpoena authority with three named goals; understand what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination, ensure accountability, and prevent such an agency failure from ever happening again
“The Task Force will make recommendations for reform to the relevant government agencies and recommend any necessary legislation to implement the reforms,” the release says.
More To The Story will update readers on this task force, including any announced hearings.