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Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are quietly discussing options for expanding personal security protections, reports suggest.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., have reportedly had conversations about the issue with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wisc.
A senior Democratic committee aide told The Hill that Jeffries and Morelle “have regularly discussed innovative solutions to the heightened need for Member security” with Johnson and Steil.
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The aide told The Hill that the lawmakers had discussed an expansion of the Law Enforcement Coordination Program that would “provide a dedicated staff slot and funding for Members to hire a staff member focused solely on security, including facilitating more timely threat assessments and liaising with law enforcement.”
Morelle said in an interview with Semafor that the staffer would be “someone who’s probably a former law enforcement, former military, who meets all the requirements of being able to carry a gun.”
Jeffries, Morelle, Johnson and Steil also reportedly discussed the possibility of providing members with a security professional “as they perform their official duties,” according to The Hill.
The push came as lawmakers gained access to a new $20,000 monthly security allowance on Monday, according to multiple reports. Members are also expected to get access to a mobile distress system, the House Sergeant-at-Arms William McFarland said in a letter obtained by Roll Call.
“Covered services include accompanying a Member or providing residential coverage at a member’s home,” McFarland’s letter read. He also noted that security personnel hired through the program would not be allowed in the Capitol or on its grounds.
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The move started as a pilot program in which lawmakers were given $5,000 a month for security personnel away from the capitol, according to Roll Call. The outlet noted that the allowance increased to $10,000 in September and was extended through Nov. 21. The program has since been made permanent.
Fox News Digital contacted Jeffries, Morelle, Johnson and Steil for comment.
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