{ "id": "R41609", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R41609", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 586000, "date": "2017-08-17", "retrieved": "2020-01-02T14:12:17.209369", "title": "Violence Against Members of Congress and Their Staff: Selected Examples and Congressional Responses", "summary": "Questions about the personal security and safety of Members of Congress and their staffs are of enduring concern for the House, Senate, and the United States Capitol Police (USCP). Broader interest in the media and among the public arises in the aftermath of incidents such as the June 14, 2017, attack on at least 17 Members of Congress, several staff, USCP officers, and members of the public in Alexandria, Virginia. In that incident, a Member was critically wounded, and others were injured during a shooting that occurred as Members were practicing for an annual congressional baseball game.\nOfficial records, supplemented from available news accounts, suggest that there have been at least 20 instances of attacks against Members since 1789. In 10 instances, the attacks failed, were thwarted, or resulted in no serious injuries to Members. Another five incidents resulted in the wounding of at least nine Members. Finally, five instances each resulted in the death of a Member. In these examples, it appears that individual Members were targeted on 17 occasions. There have been three incidents in which more than one Member was targeted, including the Alexandria attack. \nIn some of the incidents of attacks on Members or in the Capitol, including the Alexandria incident, some congressional staff were also affected. Two incidents resulted in fatalities, including a 1998 incident in which a gunman entered the Capitol and killed two USCP officers, and a 2011 shooting at a congressional event in Tucson, Arizona, which resulted in the death of a congressional staff member.\nOn a number of occasions, incidents of violence involving Members of Congress or congressional staff have led to congressional legislative or administrative responses changing policy and practice. These include a ban on dueling or challenging to duel within the District of Columbia; the enactment of law making it a federal offense to assassinate, kidnap, or assault a Member of Congress or Member-elect; and the initiation of congressional mail screening.\nIn the 115th Congress (2017-2018), several legislative proposals have been introduced related to potential response to violence against Members of Congress or their staffs.\nCiting concerns about Member security in the House and in district offices, the House on June 27, 2017, adopted H.Res. 411 to increase the 2017 Member Representational Allowance for each House Member office by $25,000.\nH.R. 3298, the Wounded Officers Recovery Act of 2017, was enacted into law on August, 4, 2017, as P.L. 117-45. The law authorizes the payments from the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund to USCP employees who sustain serious injuries in the line-of-duty.\nOther related measures have also been introduced, including H.R. 2940, the Congressional Self-Defense Act; H.R. 2945, the Congressional Personal Safety Act; and H.R. 2951, to allow Members of Congress to carry a concealed handgun anywhere in the United States, with exceptions. If enacted, the measures would allow Members of Congress to carry concealed weapons subject to different qualifications and limitations.\nIn addition to legislative proposals, various administrative efforts were undertaken in response to the Alexandria shooting, including an advisory opinion from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regarding the use of campaign funds by Members of the House for residential security systems, and an update to the Members\u2019 Congressional Handbook to provide additional guidance for updating security equipment and measures.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41609", "sha1": "85d155952e9dba5ab0fc520daaa9a4a57ea7a320", "filename": "files/20170817_R41609_85d155952e9dba5ab0fc520daaa9a4a57ea7a320.html", "images": {} }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41609", "sha1": "c3532f68a1693a6ceb74a6a83cb166e6fa0caff8", "filename": "files/20170817_R41609_c3532f68a1693a6ceb74a6a83cb166e6fa0caff8.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 400885, "date": "2012-02-17", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T00:15:13.750975", "title": "Violence Against Members of Congress and Their Staff: Selected Examples and Congressional Responses", "summary": "Questions about the personal security and safety of Members of Congress and their staffs have arisen in the aftermath of a January 8, 2011, attack in Tucson, Arizona, and following reports of an increase in the number of threats made against Members of Congress.\nFour measures have been introduced in the 112th Congress to address issues related to violence against Members and congressional staff. On January 19, 2011, Representative Robert A. Brady introduced H.R. 318 to amend title 18, United States Code, to punish threats to commit violent crimes against Members of Congress. On January 20, 2011, Representative Laura Richardson introduced H.R. 367, the Freedom to Serve Without Fear Act of 2011, which would prohibit the knowing possession of a firearm near a venue at which a Member of Congress is performing official duties or campaigning for public office. On February 18, 2011, Representative Jim Gerlach introduced H.R. 815, the Justice for Public Servants Act of 2011, which would make the killing of a Member of Congress an aggravating factor in death penalty determinations. Representative Dan Burton introduced H.Res. 50, to provide for enclosing the visitors\u2019 galleries of the House with a clear and bomb-proof material on January 24, 2011.\nSince 1789, available information from official and private sources suggests that there have been at least 21 instances of attacks involving 24 Members who were targeted by assailants. There have been 12,018 individuals who have served as Representatives or Senators since 1789. In 11 instances, the attacks were thwarted, or resulted in no serious injuries to Members. Another three incidents resulted in wounds to seven Members. Finally, seven instances resulted in the deaths of seven Members.\nIn at least five of the incidents of attacks on Members, some congressional staff were also affected. Four of the incidents resulted in the wounding of congressional staff. Two incidents, a 1998 event in which a gunman entered the Capitol, and the Tucson shooting on January 8, 2011, resulted in fatalities to two congressional law enforcement personnel and one civilian employee of the House, respectively.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R41609", "sha1": "d00e329d824bcd57dbba36a4f54d1a078006ee8e", "filename": "files/20120217_R41609_d00e329d824bcd57dbba36a4f54d1a078006ee8e.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R41609", "sha1": "fe92080fa305c30009483479d2c4ad7782f91944", "filename": "files/20120217_R41609_fe92080fa305c30009483479d2c4ad7782f91944.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc31477/", "id": "R41609_2011Jan25", "date": "2011-01-25", "retrieved": "2011-03-09T09:26:47", "title": "Violence Against Members of Congress and Their Staff: Selected Examples and Congressional Responses", "summary": "This report describes legislation introduced in the 112th Congress related to violence against members and congressional staff, provides examples of violence in which members of Congress were the apparent target, and some actions Congress has taken based in part on those incidents. This report comes in the aftermath of a recent attack in Tucson, Arizona, in which congressional staff and several constituents were injured or killed.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20110125_R41609_505e90c8128e637e47de19948402714c90705aed.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20110125_R41609_505e90c8128e637e47de19948402714c90705aed.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congress", "name": "Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Members of Congress", "name": "Members of Congress" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Congressional employees", "name": "Congressional employees" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Government employees", "name": "Government employees" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Protection of officials", "name": "Protection of officials" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Federal officials", "name": "Federal officials" } ] } ], "topics": [ "American Law", "Intelligence and National Security" ] }