Democrats in the United States Congress are spearheading a controversial push to grant each lawmaker a taxpayer-funded, armed security guard, citing an unprecedented surge in violent threats against politicians from both parties.
Unprecedented Surge in Threats Prompts Security Overhaul
The initiative, led by New York Democratic Representative Joe Morell, seeks to lobby Republican colleagues to approve funding for a personal armed guard and a dedicated law enforcement coordinator for every member of Congress. This proposal demands additional funding beyond the $20,000 per member security increase authorised earlier this year.
Morell told Semafor he plans "to continue to press the case" for the essential expenditure with GOP counterparts. This urgent push follows a year of escalating dangers, underscored by the assassination of conservative activist and top Trump ally, Charlie Kirk, in September.
Lawmakers Speak Out: A Climate of Fear
Members of Congress report living in a state of heightened anxiety. South Carolina Congresswoman and gubernatorial candidate Nancy Mace revealed on X last month that after receiving over 1,300 credible threats annually, she now has full-time security at her Charleston office.
House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain provided stark figures in a mid-September interview, stating threats against her and other members had nearly doubled from 9,000 in 2024 to 14,000 by September 2025. "Security is an issue. We need manpower and we need funds," McClain emphasised.
The proposed security package would also provide lawmakers with a $5,000 monthly stipend for personal security measures, a dramatic rise from the previous $150 allowance. While this stipend is currently active, it expires at the end of the 2025 fiscal year and requires renewal.
Violent Incidents and Vandalism Highlight Peril
The alarming trend is not confined to threats. Several lawmakers have been directly targeted. Republican Representative Max Miller of Ohio was run off the road in a June antisemitic attack, with the assailant waving a Palestinian flag.
In a separate incident, the campaign office of Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was vandalised with red paint resembling blood over the summer, accompanied by a note accusing her of funding genocide in Gaza.
Florida Democrat Jared Moskowitz, targeted by a gunman last year, starkly warned, "Someone’s gonna get killed here. It almost was me." The situation grew even more grave with the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband at their home by a gunman posing as a police officer.
Despite a July-approved pilot programme boosting residential security funding to $20,000 per member, Texas Congressman Troy Nehls told the Daily Mail the measures were insufficient, forcing many to avoid public town halls. "You just don't know... there's a lot of crazy whack jobs out there," Nehls stated on September 3rd, just days before Charlie Kirk's killing.
As the chief law enforcement and protocol officer of the House oversees these security funds, the debate intensifies over balancing the safety of elected officials with the responsible use of taxpayer money in a deeply divided political climate.
