OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
4:33 PM – Tuesday, August 6, 2024
A bill presented by GOP Representative August Pfluger, a Republican from Texas, would make the Senate ultimately confirm the next director of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
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The Senate is currently not required to confirm the USSS director’s appointment, which is made by the president. According to Pfluger, the law would also guarantee that the incoming director is both “capable and apolitical.”
On September 17th, 2022, the Secret Service’s former chief, Kimberly Cheatle, took the oath of office as the 27th director of the U.S. Secret Service. She was in charge of roughly 7,800 employees, including uniformed police and special agents. Cheatle had also boasted an annual salary of around $280,000.
However, following the failed assassination attempt on the former president last month, elected authorities have been demanding greater accountability and stronger transparency safeguards for the agency and especially its leadership positions.
“Our country was millimeters away from a presidential assassination. We must provide adequate security for all presidential candidates, no matter their party affiliation,” Pfluger said.
After Trump was targeted in the failed murder attempt, Cheatle tendered her resignation ten days later after immense backlash from GOP and Democrat congressional members, as well as from U.S. citizens.
The only reason why Trump survived the gunshot was because he miraculously turned his head to look at his data sheet at the perfect time, so the bullet merely grazed his ear rather than hitting his brain.
Cheatle initially told House politicians that she would not step down from her position, but after at least an hour of hard-hitting questions and condemnation from U.S. representatives during her testimony, she ultimately made the decision to resign.
“In light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that, I have made the difficult decision to step down as your Director,” Cheatle said. She admitted that on July 13th, the day of the attempt, the agency “fell short” of its mission “to protect our nation’s leaders.”
At the moment, Ronald Rowe, Jr., is the agency’s acting director.
Some co-signers of the bill include Reps. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), Cory Mills, (R-Fla.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), and Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.).
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