Lawmakers at the scene of Wednesday’s baseball
practice shooting described themselves as “sitting ducks” and said the
violence would have been a “massacre” if not for Majority Whip Steve
Scalise's detail -- spurring new questions over whether congressional
security practices should be overhauled.
Scalise, R-La., like other members of leadership, is
assigned a full-time security detail from U.S. Capitol Police, who guard
him in Washington and at home in his district. He is in critical
condition after being shot in the hip, but his detail was credited with
putting down the attacker and saving lives.
“If Scalise was not there, he’s the one with security
detail, we wouldn’t have had any protection and God knows how bad that
might have been,” Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, told "Fox & Friends."
Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., acknowledged the incident has
sparked new security questions for members without assigned police
protection at events outside Capitol Hill.
He, along with several other members of Congress,
suggested the most critical change may be to boost security for large
lawmaker gatherings, even informal ones like the baseball practice in
Alexandria, Va.
“We already had concerns and we have great law
enforcement at home, first responders do a great job, but this makes you
anticipate every event now in a new way,” Brat said on Fox News’
“America’s News HQ” on Wednesday. “Forty guys get together at the same
time, that would be a major security event normally, but I think we got a
little excited and didn’t think things through as well as we could
have.”
Brat said lawmakers “may need to recalibrate public
events,” while also suggesting “tighter security” at town halls -- which
most congressional lawmakers have scheduled through the summer recess.
This year's town halls to date have been particularly rowdy and tense,
prompting lawmaker concerns long before Wednesday's attack.
The Wednesday attack injured Scalise; Matt Mika, a
lobbyist for Tyson Foods; Zack Barth, a staffer from Texas Rep. Roger
Williams’ office; and two U.S. Capitol Police officers, Special Agents
Crystal Griner and David Bailey.
“Without Capitol Hill police, it would have been a
massacre—we had no defense—we had no defense at all,” Sen. Rand Paul,
R-Ky., said on "Fox & Friends." “We were like sitting ducks.”
Lawmakers have appealed for more security before,
including after the 2011 shooting of then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. A
detail for every lawmaker is likely not possible -- and security already
is provided for major events and lawmakers facing a specific threat.
But there are broad questions at hand in boosting
security beyond that: particularly, does it hurt democracy to put an
added barrier between lawmakers and constituents?
“I bet most members of Congress would say they don’t
want [a] security detail—I sure don’t,” Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., manager
of the Democratic congressional baseball team, told reporters.
CAPITOL ATTITUDE: SCALISE SHOOTING ADDS DARK NEW CHAPTER TO CONGRESSIONAL BASEBALL LORE
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich lauded the
current system where lawmakers interact with the people on a regular
basis in settings like grocery stores. He said the threat of the
"occasional deranged person" should not change that.
“We start surrounding these folks with layers of
guards—it will really cripple the ability to be a free society,” he said
on “Outnumbered.”
Gingrich added: “We are a free country, and we’re gonna run the risk of freedom.”
Rep. Williams backed Gingrich's comments in a press
conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Rogers was injured during the
attack when he dove into the dugout “like a pool without water.”
But Williams suggested he would feel “safer” if he
were allowed to carry a gun on Capitol Hill, reminding reporters that
he’s “a big Second Amendment guy” -- and said “we probably ought to take
a look at our security in big groups like that.”
Doyle, too, suggested that could be the solution: “I
think when you’re in an area with 30 or 40 members, where anyone can
walk through, we need to re-think that—but I think most members would
tell you they feel fine and they’re not looking for any security.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-K.Y., took calls for additional
security a step further on Thursday by re-introducing legislation that
would allow those who have concealed carry permits in their home states
to carry in Washington D.C.
U.S. Capitol Police have not announced any increased
security measures for congressional lawmakers, but said they will
“continue to provide a robust and visible presence” around the Capitol.
James Norton, who was deputy assistant secretary at
Department of Homeland Security under the George W. Bush administration,
told Fox News that staffing each member of Congress with a personal
security detail would cost billions and acknowledged the unwillingness
of some members to have additional layers of security. But he said they
need to consider “the dangers” that come with public forums.
“You have to consider that there is a lot of
information for the public—obviously members want to give as much
information as they can—a lot of calendars are broadcast, social media,
information is readily available,” Norton said. “But there are a lot of
bad actors out there looking to do harm, and vigilance needs to be taken
by each member and their staff.”
