by Steven Richards
House Republican members on the Oversight Committee said Tuesday the Department of Homeland Security has taken over communications between the committee and the U.S. Secret Service and refuses to confirm a time for a briefing that was supposed to take place today.
The interposition by the Department of Homeland Security comes as Congress is seeking answers from the Secret Service about the security failure at Donald Trump’s July 13 rally in Pennsylvania where an attempt was made on the former president’s life. The USSS had previously agreed to brief the committee Tuesday.
“After the Secret Service agreed to brief members of the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security took over communications with the Committee and has since refused to confirm a briefing time. The Oversight Committee has a long record of bipartisan oversight of the Secret Service and the unprofessionalism we are witnessing from current DHS leadership is unacceptable,” a spokeswoman for the Oversight Committee said in a statement shared with Just the News Tuesday.
“While the Secret Service confirmed Director Cheatle is expected to appear for the Committee’s hearing on July 22, to head off any attempt by DHS to backtrack on her appearance, the Chairman will issue a subpoena for her to attend. Director Cheatle must answer to Congress and the American people about the historic failure that occurred on her watch,” she added.
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The committee has also requested the U.S. Secret Service turn over information and records related the July 13 rally, including documents, communications, and recordings from the event and planning.
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Steven Richards is a reporter for Just the News.
Photo “United States Secret Service” by United States Secret Service.
