Jeffries and Schumer cite rising threats and political violence against both parties in letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and in public remarks.
Top Democratic leaders in Congress are calling for increased security funding for lawmakers following recent shootings that killed former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.
In a letter sent June 16 to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and House Administration Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y) urged immediate action to strengthen member safety. They pointed to the attack as part of a growing trend of threats and violence against elected officials.
“These shootings were not isolated incidents,” the lawmakers wrote. “Credible threats and acts of political violence have increased significantly over the last decade. Threats against Members of Congress have grown by nearly 1,000 percent since 2016.”
This comes on top of a number of other criminal activities targeting politicians. In April, an arsonist set fire to the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, while the Republican Party office in New Mexico was torched in March. In 2024, gunfire struck a Democratic National Committee office in Arizona. And most notably, there were two assassination attempts on President Donald Trump last year during his presidential campaign.
Past incidents also include a 2022 hammer attack on then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) husband, Paul, at their home, and a 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice that critically wounded Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.). In 2020, federal authorities also foiled a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
The letter called on Johnson to direct the House Sergeant at Arms to take immediate steps to enhance member protection and to significantly increase the Member Representational Allowance (MRA) to support security measures in district offices. “That responsibility starts with you,” Jeffries and Morelle wrote.
Johnson’s office said he held a call with members on June 14 to discuss security concerns following the shootings. In a public statement posted to X that morning, Johnson wrote: “Such horrific political violence has no place in our society, and every leader must unequivocally condemn it. Our prayers are with the Hortman and Hoffman families as well as the people of Minnesota during this tragic time.”
By Chase Smith
