Rep. Biggs Pushes New Bill to Empower Secret Service’s Protection of Trump

By Daniel Stefanski |

U.S. Congressman Andy Biggs from Arizona is advocating for reforms aimed at strengthening the protective capabilities of the U.S. Secret Service. Last week, he introduced the Secret Service Prioritization Act of 2024, a legislative move that responds to significant recommendations made by the DHS Independent Review Panel. Their report, stemming from an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, raised doubts about the effectiveness of the Secret Service’s non-protective missions and urged a refocus on core security responsibilities.

Biggs stated, “July 13, 2024, was a wake-up call to the failures of the Secret Service. An agency with over $3 billion in its budget and 3,200 specialized agents should not falter in protecting such a prominent figure.” He emphasized the need to eliminate non-protective duties to refocus resources on the agency’s primary mission of safeguarding high-profile individuals.

He further suggested that with the FBI moving away from its previous focus on domestic actions, it could absorb the non-protective investigative tasks currently handled by the Secret Service. “This legislation must move quickly through the House to prevent any similar failures in the future,” Biggs asserted.

Biggs was joined by fellow Arizona Congressman Eli Crane, who expressed support for the bill, stating, “The Secret Service should have a singular focus on protection. Recent failures highlight the necessity for reform, and I’m proud to co-sponsor this critical legislation.”

Florida Congressman Cory Mills also lent his support as a cosponsor of the bill. The emphasis of the DHS report underscores that the core mission of the Secret Service is protection. It asserts that no other agency can fulfill this duty and underlines the need for a zero-failure standard. All available resources must be allocated to this mission before attending to other law enforcement responsibilities, including financial fraud cases.

The call for reform reflects a growing concern about the effectiveness of the Secret Service in light of past incidents. Lawmakers are now seeking to prioritize protective duties to ensure the security of national leaders remains uncompromised.

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.