Updated October 25, 2018
Protection of Executive Branch Officials
Overview
own agencies or departments protected 36 officials and 6
Due to recent attempted bombing attacks on current and
officials were protected by personnel from other agencies or
former government officials (and others), there may be
departments, such as the USSS and the U.S. Marshals
congressional interest in protective details for government
Service.
officials. Congress may also be interested due to media
reports of costs or budgetary requests associated with
Since GAO’s 2000 report, it appears there has been no
funding security details for the Secretaries of some
significant research on protecting executive branch
departments or agencies, including the Department of
officials. Considering the increased federal government and
Education, the Department of Labor, and the Environmental
congressional interest in security of federal personnel and
Protection Agency. Attacks against political leaders and
facilities since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there may be a
other public figures has been a consistent security issue in
need for further research to inform analysis of related
the United States. Since the U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
issues.
started protecting Presidents in 1906, seven assaults or
assassination attempts have occurred, with one resulting in
Personal Protection Detail Authority
a death (President John F. Kennedy). Prior to USSS
The USSS and the State Department are the only two
protection, three sitting presidents have been assassinated
agencies that have specific statutory authority to protect
(Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, and William
executive branch officials. Specifically, the USSS protects
McKinley). In addition, official records and news accounts
the following individuals under 18 U.S.C. §3056(a):
show that there have been at least 20 attacks against
Members of Congress since 1789. For further details on
President, Vice President, President- and Vice
violence against Members of Congress, see CRS Report
President-elect;
R41609, Violence Against Members of Congress and Their
Staff: Selected Examples and Congressional Responses.
immediate families of those listed above;
According to a 1998 U.S. Marshals Service report, data on
former Presidents, their spouses, and their children
assassinations and assassination attempts against federal
under the age of 16;
officials suggest that elected officials are more likely to be
targeted than those holding senior appointed positions. The
former Vice Presidents; their spouses, and their children
U.S. Marshal Service report quoted a 1970 report on
under the age of 16; for six months after leaving office
political violence (commissioned by President Lyndon
but the Department of Homeland Security Secretary can
Johnson) indicating that
extend this period due to threats.
the more powerful and prestigious the office, the
visiting heads of foreign states or governments;
greater the likelihood of assassination.... [T]here is
a much greater likelihood that the occupant of or
distinguished foreign visitors and official United States
aspirant to an elected office will be the victim of an
representatives on special missions abroad; and
assassination than will the occupant of an appointed
position, even though the position may be a
major presidential and vice presidential candidates
powerful one, such as Secretary of State, Justice of
within 120 days of the general elections, and their
the Supreme Court, or Attorney General.
spouses.
In a 2000 report, the Government Accountability Office
The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
(GAO) stated that it was only able to identify one instance
special agents protect the following individuals under 22
when a Cabinet Secretary was physically harmed as part of
U.S.C. §2709(3):
an assassination attempt, which occurred when one of the
Lincoln assassination conspirators attacked then-Secretary
heads of foreign state, official representatives of a
of State William Seward in his home in 1865. Even with
foreign government, and other distinguished U.S.
few attempted attacks against appointed officials, federal
visitors, while in the United States;
law enforcement entities have been providing personal
protection details (PPD) to select executive branch officials
the Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary of State, and
since at least 1994. In total, GAO reported that from
official U.S. government representatives, in the United
FY1997 through FY1999, security protection was provided
States or abroad;
to officials holding 42 executive branch positions at 31
executive branch agencies. Personnel from 27 different
members of the immediate family of persons described
agencies protected the 42 officials: personnel from their
above;
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Protection of Executive Branch Officials
a departing Secretary of State for a period of up to 180
involves making related security plans and analyzing
days after the date of termination of that individual’s
possible and actual threats. GAO’s 2000 report stated that
incumbency as Secretary of State, on the basis of a
officials received different levels and frequencies of
threat assessment; and
protection, which generally included protection while they
worked in their offices, attended public events, and traveled
an individual who has been designated by the President
on official business. Some officials were protected during
or President-elect to serve as Secretary of State, prior to
private personal time. GAO, in avoiding compromising
that individual’s appointment.
official security, did not disclose specific information on
PDD operations.
GAO reported that any other agency providing PPD to an
executive branch official was based on various legal
Determination for PPD
authorities. Some of these legal authorities include
GAO reported that agency or department security officials
generally determined officials needed protection when there
the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C., App. 3);
was a possible or actual threat received from individuals
who meet one, some, or all of these criteria:
the general authority of agency heads to issue
regulations (5 U.S.C. §301);
opposed to the policies and issues being handled by their
agency or department;
a 1970 memorandum from the White House Counsel to
a Cabinet department;
apparently suffering from mental problems;
a 1972 letter from then-Secretary of the Treasury
opposed to the officials personally; and
George Schultz to all Cabinet Secretaries that offered to
have the USSS provide training for all the departments’
terrorists.
protective personnel;
Security officials also said the level of protection provided
a specific deputation from the U.S. Marshals Service,
was determined by a variety of factors, such as the
and according to U.S. Marshals Service policy directive
sensitivity of the issues being handled by the agency or
99-13 (February 5, 1999), Special Deputy Marshals are
department, the visibility of the protected official to the
sworn and appointed to perform specific law
public, travel needs, and the officials’ personal preferences.
enforcement duties, such as carry firearms for the
Finally, GAO reported in 2000 that the primary PDD
protection of persons covered under the federal assault
personnel employed at 11 agencies, including 2 offices of
statutes; and
Inspectors General, were deputized as U.S. Marshals to
provide them with needed law enforcement authorities.
a specific delegation of authority set forth in the Code of
Federal Regulations (7 C.F.R. §2.33(a)(2)) that the
Secretary of Agriculture delegated authority to protect
the Secretary and Deputy Secretary to the Department of
Shawn Reese, Analyst in Emergency Management and
Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General.
Homeland Security Policy
PPD Operations
Jared C. Nagel, Senior Research Librarian
In general, PPD operations consist of having armed
IF10843
personnel within the vicinity of a protected official and in
locations the official plans to travel. In addition, protection
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Protection of Executive Branch Officials
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10843 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED