[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SECRET SERVICE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, since the Senate last convened, our 
Nation has seen two attempts to circumvent the American people's right 
to choose their leaders.
  The first, of course, was the first time in more than a century that 
a former President of the United States was shot in an attempted 
assassination. That happened to Theodore Roosevelt.
  This murderous assault on our democratic process very nearly robbed 
millions of Americans of their choice for the next President. It has 
been reassuring to see Americans united in their horror at this brazen 
act of political violence. The near-disaster on July 13 violated the 
trust of the American public, and restoring that trust will require 
transparency and accountability. I said at the outset that the 
resignation of the Director of the Secret Service would be an important 
step in that direction, and I am encouraged she has taken that step 
today.
  The Director is on record describing her agents' responsibilities as 
``a zero fail mission.'' Clearly, on July 13, the Secret Service did 
fail the mission. The important questions now are why and how. Apart 
from internal inquiries and FBI investigations, Congress's oversight 
authority entitles us to answers.
  Yesterday, the House Oversight Committee spent hours questioning the 
Director of the Secret Service. Unfortunately, the Senate majority 
hasn't yet shown any intention of conducting oversight of its own. 
Democrats who so often express concern about threats to democracy have 
yet to look seriously at the failures of the Secret Service.
  The Judiciary Committee, for its part, appeared to be more concerned 
with resurrecting failed judicial nominations than getting to the 
bottom of the first near-assassination of a former President in 100 
years. Until earlier today, Chairman Durbin apparently intended to 
spend the committee's time taking another look at radical Judge Sarah 
Netburn, a nominee his own committee rejected once for engaging in 
political activism from the bench and lying about her actions under 
oath.
  It is crickets at the Homeland Security Committee as well. Chairman 
Peters has three meetings on the calendar for this week but not one 
about the near-assassination of a former President.
  A former President of the United States came within an inch of his 
life just days ago. An innocent participant in the great tradition of 
American campaigns was killed, and two other attendees were seriously 
wounded. The American people deserve to know how this happened and what 
steps are being taken to ensure that it won't happen again.

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