Long Island Republican, Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, recently proposed legislation to require congressional staffers to receive active shooter training in response to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump during his July 13th rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. This bill would be applicable to full-time employees of the lower chamber.
According to D’Esposito’s proposal, within 60 days of the bill’s passage, the House Administration Committee must establish guidelines for the training protocols. While not mandatory, members of the lower chamber, officers, part-time employees, and interns would also have the option to receive this active shooter training. Furthermore, the training could be accessed remotely.
D’Esposito, a former officer in the New York Police Department, has been vocal about public safety and law enforcement issues since taking office earlier this year. His proposal for mandatory active shooter training comes amid heightened security concerns surrounding top politicians following the recent assassination attempt on Trump. D’Esposito himself experienced a bomb threat at his Garden City office just a day before the incident.
The House of Representatives is currently in its August recess and is expected to reconvene in September, while the Senate will be meeting this week before taking its August break. Multiple investigations are underway into the security lapses that allowed a bullet to graze Trump’s right ear during his recent rally. Last week, House leadership announced the formation of a bipartisan task force to look into these failures, while President Biden has called for an independent review and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General is also investigating the matter.
