In response to the recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump, a new bill has been introduced in Congress that could significantly alter the mission of the U.S. Secret Service. The legislation, proposed by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), seeks to shift the agency’s responsibility for investigating financial crimes to the Treasury Department, allowing the Secret Service to focus exclusively on protecting political leaders.
The Focus on Protection Act, as the bill is called, would mandate the transfer of all assets and personnel involved in the Secret Service’s financial crime investigations within 180 days, as per a report from Axios. According to Torres, this move would “enhance efficiency and focus in combating financial crimes” while enabling the Secret Service to concentrate on its “core mission” of protecting high-profile U.S. political figures, their families, and visiting foreign dignitaries.
Here is what you need to know
This idea has been discussed for years but has gained new momentum following last month’s attempted assassination of Trump. The attack has led to bipartisan support for re-evaluating the Secret Service’s dual roles. Torres and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) also introduced a separate bill aimed at enhancing protection for Trump, President Biden, and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A quick look at Secret Service’s history
The Secret Service, originally founded in 1865 as part of the Treasury Department, was initially tasked with cracking down on counterfeiting. It wasn’t until the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901 that the agency was assigned the additional duty of protecting the president and other political leaders. In 2003, the Secret Service’s financial crime mission expanded to cover bank and wire fraud, cybersecurity, and illicit financing when it was moved under the Department of Homeland Security.
If Torres’ bill passes, the Secret Service will return to focusing solely on its protective duties, a shift that some lawmakers believe is long overdue in light of the evolving threats against U.S. leaders.
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