U.S. taxpayers will dole out about $4 million to help elected Members of Congress pay for security upgrades to their private residences.
“The House Sergeant at Arms is creating a new residential security program,” reports Punchbowl News managing editor Heather Caygle. “Each member will get $10k to secure their residences, I’m told.”
With the current House headcount at 431 Members (four vacancies) that could mean $4.31 million in upgrades, which presumably are physical security systems. Those systems will also increase the value of Members’ homes.
“This has been in the works for weeks, I’m told, and comes as several members in both parties have faced scary security incidents in recent weeks,” Caygle adds.
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Unknown yet is if Representatives who will be leaving Congress in January or earlier, either due to retirement or loss of a primary, special, or general election, will be afforded the upgrade funds.
“Translation,” tweeted David Solimini, a communications official at a nonpartisan think tank. “Members of Congress are afraid of political violence against them. The result will be less accessible (and therefore less responsive) elected officials. …which, I’ll add, is one of the goals of threats like this.”
Last month the House overwhelmingly passed Senate legislation to protect Supreme Court justices’ homes and their family members, offering “around-the-clock protection,” after an armed man was captured near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.
This is a breaking news and developing story.