Updated October 16, 2020
Protection of Federal Government Officials
Overview
provided to officials holding 42 executive branch positions
Due to attempted attacks on current and former government
at 31 executive branch agencies. Personnel from 27
officials (and others) and increased political tension across
different agencies protected the 42 officials: personnel from
the nation, there may be congressional interest in protective
their own agencies or departments protected 36 officials
details for government officials. An example of such
and 6 officials were protected by personnel from other
attacks are the October 2018 attempted bombings on a
agencies or departments, such as the USSS and the U.S.
number of current and former officials. Congress may also
Marshals Service.
be interested due to media reports of costs or budgetary
requests associated with funding security details for the
Since GAO’s 2000 report, it appears there has been no
Secretaries of some departments or agencies, including the
significant research on protecting executive branch
Department of Education, the Department of Labor, and the
officials. Considering the increased federal government and
Environmental Protection Agency. Attacks against political
congressional interest in security of federal personnel and
leaders and other public figures have been an ongoing
facilities since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, there may be a
security issue in the United States. Since the U.S. Secret
need for further research to inform analysis of related
Service (USSS) started protecting Presidents in 1906, seven
issues.
assaults or assassination attempts have occurred, with one
resulting in a death (President John F. Kennedy). Prior to
Personal Protection Detail Authority
USSS protection, three sitting Presidents had been
The USSS and the State Department are the only two
assassinated (Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, and
agencies that have specific statutory authority to protect
William McKinley). In addition, official records and news
executive branch officials. Specifically, the USSS protects
accounts show that there have been at least 20 attacks
the following individuals under 18 U.S.C. §3056(a):
against Members of Congress since 1789. For further
details on violence against Members of Congress, see CRS
President, Vice President, President- and Vice
Report R41609, Violence Against Members of Congress
President-elect;
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. Marshals 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 states, 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 (PPDs) to select executive branch
the Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary of State, and
officials since at least 1994. In total, GAO reported that
official U.S. government representatives, in the United
from FY1997 through FY1999, security protection was
States or abroad;
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Protection of Federal Government Officials
members of the immediate family of persons described
locations the official plans to travel. In addition, protection
above;
involves making related security plans and analyzing
possible and actual threats. GAO’s 2000 report stated that
a departing Secretary of State for a period of up to 180
officials received different levels and frequencies of
days after the date of termination of that individual’s
protection, which generally included protection while they
incumbency as Secretary of State, on the basis of a
worked in their offices, attended public events, and traveled
threat assessment; and
on official business. Some officials were protected during
private personal time. GAO, in avoiding compromising
an individual who has been designated by the President
official security, did not disclose specific information on
or President-elect to serve as Secretary of State, prior to
PPD operations.
that individual’s appointment.
Determination for PPD
GAO reported that any other agency providing PPD to an
GAO reported that agency or department security officials
executive branch official was based on various legal
generally determined officials needed protection when there
authorities. Some of these legal authorities include
was a possible or actual threat received from individuals
who meet one, some, or all of these criteria:
the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C., App. 3);
opposed to the policies and issues being handled by their
the general authority of agency heads to issue
agency or department;
regulations (5 U.S.C. §301);
apparently suffering from mental problems;
a 1970 memorandum from the White House Counsel to
a Cabinet department;
opposed to the officials personally; and
a 1972 letter from then-Secretary of the Treasury
terrorists.
George Schultz to all Cabinet Secretaries that offered to
have the USSS provide training for all the departments’
Security officials also said the level of protection provided
protective personnel;
was determined by a variety of factors, such as the
sensitivity of the issues being handled by the agency or
a specific deputation from the U.S. Marshals Service,
department, the visibility of the protected official to the
and according to U.S. Marshals Service policy directive
public, travel needs, and the officials’ personal preferences.
99-13 (February 5, 1999), Special Deputy Marshals are
Finally, GAO reported in 2000 that the primary PPD
sworn and appointed to perform specific law
personnel employed at 11 agencies, including 2 offices of
enforcement duties, such as carry firearms for the
Inspectors General, were deputized as U.S. Marshals to
protection of persons covered under the federal assault
provide them with needed law enforcement authorities.
statutes; and
a specific delegation of authority set forth in the Code of
Federal Regulations (7 C.F.R. §2.33(a)(2)) that the
Shawn Reese, Analyst in Emergency Management and
Secretary of Agriculture delegated authority to protect
Homeland Security Policy
the Secretary and Deputy Secretary to the Department of
Agriculture’s Office of Insp
Jared C. Nagel, Senior Research Librarian
ector General.
IF10843
PPD Operations
In general, PPD operations consist of having armed
personnel within the vicinity of a protected official and in
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Protection of Federal Government 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
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10843 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED