Minnesota shootings arouse security fears while legislators are faced with threats to the house
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Most members of the United States Chamber and Senate were far from Washington when an armed man went to the home of two minnesota state legislators, killing two people and wounding two others.
And that’s exactly what rocked American representatives and senators. They too were not in Washington. They were at home for the weekend.
The police accuse Vance Boelter of having killed the democratic representative of Minnesota, Melissa Hortman, and her husband, Mark. Boelter is also accused of having shot the senator from the state of Minnesota, John Hoffman, and his wife, Yvette.
All at home.
And that’s exactly what rocked American senators and representatives. They weren’t in Washington.
The Lécière de la Room du Minnesota, Melissa Hortman, was fatally shot down early Saturday. (Glen Stubb via Getty)
The Minnesota legislator was on vacation when the masked suspect struck the door
“The Minnesota was discordant because (the suspect) went after his family,” said a member of the chamber that faced threats and asked for anonymity. “We left 50% of the time. There are no more lines.”
The congress lives in the era of Doxxing. People send pizzas to their homes – a not so subtle way to say: “I know where you live.” Crushing.
He freaks out the legislators. But what shakes the members at the heart is when a threat is directed against their family. Maybe a message is sent to school where their children attend. The Minnesota massacre is the shooting of the 2017 Congress baseball training, which almost killed the majority leader in Steve Scalie, R-La. Then there are the quasi-Asassinat 2011 of the former representatives Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., And Ron Barber, D-Ariz.
“We must be proactive by ourselves,” said a legislator at Fox who asked that they are not identified. “Not reactive.”
The representative Hillary Scholten, d-mich., Canceled a meeting of the town hall with the voters this week after what happened in Minnesota.
“After being informed that my name appeared on a list linked to the recent tragic shooting in Minnesota, my office made the difficult decision to postpone our town hall planned to Muskegon,” said Scholten. “By an abundance of prudence and not to divert additional resources for applying the law far from the protection of the wider public at the moment, this is the responsible choice.”
The representative Hillary Scholten, d-mich., In the building of the Longworth House office on Tuesday July 25, 2023. (Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call, included via Getty Images)
The officials found the names of dozens of members of the Chamber and the Senate on a list written by the alleged assassin.
This raises the question: can congress security officials ensure the security of the legislators?
The legislator suspecting the minnesota legislator, Vance Boelter, has captured
A democrat applauded the efforts of the American Capitol (USCP). But the legislator underlined that it was physically impossible for the USCP to protect all members and their families 24/7, in Washington and in their original states or districts. The USCP reports more than 9,400 threats in good faith against legislators. The USCP only dealt with a fraction of these threats ten years ago.
In addition, there was no information on shooters during baseball or unleashing of Giffords.
It’s one thing to follow the “known”. The “unknowns” are even more frightening.
So what should legislators do?
Capitol security officials and US Capitol police informed all the senators about the threats they faced on Tuesday morning.
“Subering”, this is how the whip of the Dick Durbin Senate minority, D-ill., Described the conversation. “The threat to civil servants and families is very real and very widespread.”
The head of the minority of the Hakeem Jeffries room, DN.Y., and the representative Joe Morelle, DN.Y., the best democrat of the Chamber’s administration committee, wrote to the president of the Mike Johnson Chamber, R-La., About “the allowance of representing members” or “MRA”. It is a fund that the Chamber attributes to each member to manage their office. Jeffries and Morelle asked Johnson to “considerably increase” the MRA, so that legislators can strengthen the security services.
There is also a discussion on cleaning personal information from web legislators or approval of antidoxxing legislation.
“The increase in violence, threats of violence against members did not occur by accident.
This means you can have all the safety you want. But you can’t change the way people think. What they decide to publish online. Or where they decide to go.
Senator Mike Lee, Rutah, deleted two publications on social networks on the shootings of Minnesota in the middle of a barrier of criticisms of the left and the right. Lee assimilated the shooting to the “Marxists” and insinuated that the Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz (D) was partly responsible for murders.
Sen Mike Lee speaks during a campaign rally for the American republican candidate, former president Donald Trump at Findlay Toyota Center on October 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble / Getty Images)
Senator Tina Smith, D-minn., Found Lee in the Mike Mansfield room of the Capitol on Monday evening to express her dissatisfaction about messages.
“Was he receptive to your concerns?” asked Ryan Schmelz from Fox News Radio.
“I would say he seemed surprised to be confronted,” said Smith.
Senator Amy Klobuchar, d-minn., Also looked for Lee.
“I told him what I said publicly. It’s not a bit funny for my condition,” said Klobuchar. “Senator Lee and I had a good discussion, and I’m very happy that he withdrew it.”
“Did he seem full of remorse?” really asked yours.
“Contrite?” Questioned Lisa Desjardins from PBS Newshour.
“I’m not going to get into our discussion, or I couldn’t get things done,” said Klobuchar. “But I was just saying that he removed it.”
Lee then ignored the question of why he deleted the messages from the colleague Tyler Olson.
The legislators therefore find themselves – again – trying to reduce the temperature.
And find solutions.
If there is no action, the representative Jared Moskowitz, d-Fla., Stunned to force the room to a “secret session” to debate the good approach to the security of the congress. Such a resolution to move the room in a secret session requires a vote. It is also privileged. This means that Moskowitz could review the heads of the rooms and place the problem on the ground. The room could potentially vote for table or kill the effort.
The Chamber has not organized a clandestine session since 2008 – and only six of these conclaves in the history of the Republic. If the members vote no, they are in the file to oppose a secret session to discuss security.
But a consensus on what Congress wants – or if the American Capitol police have the means to manage – is an astounding proposal. The USCP is responsible for protecting 535 members. What about keeping legislators in their districts? And that is to say nothing about family members.
Hoffman / Boelter / Hortman Split (Images AP; Minnesota Public Security Department)
In addition, security officials tell Fox that there have been many criticisms by members of the current security posture – of those who do not benefit from the current programs offered to them by the Chamber and the USCP.
“They really like to complain,” said a republican source that said that many legislators had not used security options.
Consider again why Minnesota murders resonated so much on Capitol Hill.
Legislators are afraid of stalkers and others who regularly threaten them. But this is another level to target family members.
Some politicians present themselves to functions to achieve power. Others for glory. And some, for a good old public service.
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Their families worked for nothing. Their names do not appear on the ballot. At the Committee door. They are not on the wall of the office building of Maison Rayburn.
But the names and addresses of family members are on the internet.
And this is what panics the legislators the most.
