Several Republicans are newly named members of a bipartisan task force that will investigate the recent attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump.
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) is chairman of the Bipartisan House Task Force, which will be composed of seven Republicans and six Democrats. Among the appointed GOP members are U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce of Ohio and Laurel Lee of Florida.
“I want to thank Speaker Johnson for appointing me to this important and solemn role,” Rep. Kelly said on Monday. “As we launch this task force, it’s important that we set politics aside and work together to restore the faith, trust, and confidence in our government for the American people.”
The congressman on July 22 sponsored House Resolution 1367 to formally establish the task force charged with investigating the attempted assassination on Trump on July 13 in Rep. Kelly’s hometown of Butler, Pa. The U.S. House of Representatives on July 24 voted 416-0 to pass the resolution.
“It’s critical that we investigate, detail, and explain the security breakdowns that tragically killed one person, injured two others, and nearly claimed President Trump’s life,” said Rep. Kelly. “We must never let something like this happen again. The American people have a right to know what happened. Congress has a responsibility to find out.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) subsequently announced the formation of the task force and its participating members.
“I am honored Speaker Johnson selected me to serve on the Bipartisan House Task Force,” Rep. Joyce said. “As a prosecutor of over 25 years and former chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I will work diligently to uncover the facts, demand accountability, and ensure these security failures are prevented from happening in the future.”
The task force is empowered with all investigative authority of the House, including subpoena authority, and for the remainder of this Congress will assume control and jurisdiction over all pending House committee investigations regarding the assassination attempt.
“The United States Secret Service has a no-fail mission to protect America’s leaders, and unfortunately, they failed at their core mission that day,” said Rep. Lee. “One of Congress’s constitutional responsibilities is to conduct oversight to provide accountability and transparency, and that is exactly what this task force will do.”
The congresswoman also thanked Speaker Johnson for entrusting her as a member of the task force.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues to investigate these inexcusable security failures to ensure this never happens again,” she said.