WASHINGTON — The Senate unanimously handed laws Tuesday to boost Secret Service protection for presidential candidates, sending the bill to the White House for President Joe Biden‘s signature.
The sturdy present of bipartisan help got here days after the House handed the measure, generally known as the Enhanced Presidential Security Act, with none opposition in a 405-0 vote.
The bill would give former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris the identical stage of safety supplied to Biden. At solely three pages lengthy, the bill offers broad discretion to the Secret Service on how to apply measures to attain that stage.
It comes the identical month as an apparent second attempt to assassinate Trump. Biden referred to as on Congress to act final week, saying that the Secret Service “needs more help.”
The Trump marketing campaign, the Harris marketing campaign and the Secret Service didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark on Senate passage of the bill.
The Enhanced Presidential Security Act was launched within the House by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the laws to the Senate ground.
Following the House vote on Friday, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe mentioned throughout a press convention that Trump is already receiving “the highest levels of secret service protection.” He added that Trump was receiving every thing Biden is “with respect to Secret Service.”
At the identical time, Rowe mentioned the company wants “a paradigm shift” in its strategy to defending presidents.
The passage of the bill comes because the House mulls a broader spending measure that features a plan to present a further $231 million for the Secret Service.
It additionally comes a day after Trump accused the Justice Department of “downplaying” the alleged assassination plot towards him in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump was beforehand shot within the ear throughout an assassination attempt at a marketing campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
