Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) appeared on ABC's “This Week” ahead of a hearing on Thursday into the assassination attempt on former President Trump.
They argued that the Secret Service is “stretched out” at a time of rising political tensions and increased threats to public officials and those running for office.
“This is not a Republican or Democrat issue. This is an American issue. We have to protect people who are running for office and people who are already running for office,” Kelly said Sunday. “It's a very dangerous moment for us to look at this situation and think that this is the state of the world. It's not. We cannot accept this as Americans.”
Kelly and Crow argued that danger lurks behind political rhetoric, pointing to the July assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally, grazed the former president, killing one and wounding two.
A few weeks later, a gunman was shot after Secret Service agents noticed rifles pointed around Trump's golf course in what was believed to be an assassination attempt.
Lawmakers argue the cases are part of a larger problem that the Secret Service has been unable to address due to a lack of resources.
The task force will investigate Secret Service funding, personnel and preparations for Trump's rally, with Kelly saying the service was “too complacent” in the days leading up to the rally.
“The Secret Service is currently under increased pressure as they try to protect more people than ever before and listen to everything that's happening across the country,” Kelly said.
Crow argued that a bipartisan task force is investigating both incidents and is seeking to show that Republicans and Democrats can work together toward a common goal: safety.
“What we need to do to condemn political violence is have tough debates during the political season, and there's a big difference between that and saying there's no place in American society for anyone, whether they're a Republican or a Democrat, to take things into their own hands and resort to violence,” Crow said.
