United States House of Representatives
07/25/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/25/2024 15:54
House Establishes Task Force on the Attempted Assassination of Donald J. Trump
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.
On July 22nd, 2024, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) introduced H. Res. 1367, which was referred to the Committee on Rules. The task force will be composed of seven Republicans and six Democrats.
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