The House of Representatives has unanimously voted to establish a bipartisan committee to investigate the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
No senators voted “no” or “present,” and 416 senators voted “yes.” Ten Democrats and six Republicans did not vote.
The task force will be made up of seven Republicans and six Democrats, with members expected to be announced this week.
House Republican leaders fast-tracked the bill in response to the deadly shooting at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, about two weeks ago that left one attendee dead, two injured and Trump himself shot in the ear and evacuated from the stage by Secret Service.
Trump shooting: Timeline of assassination attempt raises questions about how gunman escaped security
On July 13, 2024, former President Donald Trump was photographed being escorted off stage at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, with blood running down his face and surrounded by Secret Service agents. (Rebecca Droke/AFP via Getty Images)
The vote was predictably bipartisan, coming hours after the shooting that sparked a wave of bipartisan condemnation of political violence and scrutiny of the security situation that allowed a rifle-wielding 20-year-old gunman to get onto a rooftop just outside the rally’s perimeter.
“The security failures that allowed the assassination attempt on Donald Trump are shocking. In response to bipartisan demands for answers, we are announcing the formation of a House Task Force of seven Republicans and six Democrats to thoroughly investigate this matter,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “The task force will be empowered with subpoena power and will act swiftly to uncover the facts, ensure accountability, and ensure this kind of failure never happens again.”
FBI Director Wray reveals five key details about Trump shooter’s explosives, weapons cache
House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are leading the task force as a bipartisan effort. (Getty Images)
The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), whose district the shooting occurred in, and who was in attendance but unharmed.
In an interview with Fox News Digital last week, Johnson said he wanted the commission to reach a conclusion as quickly as possible, at least in part because “to make sure people aren’t making judgments about some conspiracy theory or some evil plot.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray’s testimony details how Trump shooter scaled roof at Butler rally
Rep. Mike Kelly led the resolution to establish the committee. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Click here to get the FOX News app
“Some of the rumors are already starting to emerge and we need to address them immediately,” he said. “The idea of the task force is to create a precision group or unit that will immediately work on this issue, that will be bipartisan and will have subpoena power. I think that’s going to be really important to get answers as quickly as possible.”
Kimberly Cheatle, director of the U.S. Secret Service, was forced to resign on Tuesday after a bipartisan scrutiny of the security situation.
