Some House Democrats have a new worry as concerns about lawmakers’ safety continue: That they won’t be able to rely on local law enforcement for help if they need it.
One House Democrat, who spoke anonymously to share private discussions, told NOTUS that at a caucus meeting earlier this week, they heard members — particularly those of color and ones who represent districts in red states — say they were worried that if they had a security threat, there would be “a lack of support” from local law enforcement. (Two other Democratic lawmakers confirmed to NOTUS that they are familiar with this concern.)
In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the security of members of Congress has been a major topic for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Republicans and President Donald Trump have blamed liberals and “the left” for escalating political violence, while Democrats fear local law enforcement may be taking that message to heart.
“They call the [local law-enforcement office] and they’re not getting responses, and so, there’s talk about, you know, can we have the Capitol Police try and work out with them?” the House Democrat said. “And you can, but it just depends on who they are, and a lot of them are locally elected — so if they’re politically hostile, that’s a real problem.”
Rep. Steven Horsford, who represents a swing district in Nevada, was one of the members who voiced these concerns.
In a brief interview, Horsford pointed to his attempt to visit an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in July, where he was denied entry. In a video he posted on X at the time, an ICE agent referred to the congressman as a “security risk” and then said they were calling the Nye County sheriff “to talk to you guys.”
“They called the local sheriff; they showed up and were going to arrest me,” Horsford said. “These are the same people that I’m supposed to call to coordinate security or to do support when I have a town hall.” (The Nye County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.)
“I believe that as members of Congress, like our constituents, we all deserve to be safe, and our families and staff deserve to work in spaces that are safe,” Horsford continued. “Yes, coordinating with local enforcement is one option, but we don’t all have that option.”
Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman, another Democrat in a red state, said that “all the divisive rhetoric is bad and it has to stop for a ton of reasons, including this one — it will be an issue for members.”
Another House Democrat from a red state told NOTUS that as conservatives continue to accuse “the left” for inciting political violence, it’s important for their Democratic colleagues to focus on their relationships with law enforcement.
“There are general security concerns related to the rhetoric that we see related to potential retaliation from the Charlie Kirk shooting,” the lawmaker said. “And so, you know, I know people’s unique security circumstances … like their relationships that they have with their local law enforcement offices, they look different,” they added. “It’s incumbent on all members, to the extent that they can, to build and foster those relationships.”
“And I think it’s incumbent on our law enforcement to not let politics influence their execution of the responsibilities that they have to protect and serve everybody in the public — regardless of what they believe, regardless of what they say,” they continued.
But a third House Democrat, also from a red state, said that concerns about retaliation from local law enforcement have been simmering for a while.
Lawmakers “that work on police accountability, sometimes can be retaliated against by certain right-wing elements within police associations. And that’s something that a lot of members, especially members of color, have had to grapple with,” the member, who did not name specific police associations, told NOTUS.
To that end, the member added: “Many members of Congress that are police reformers have had to make sure that they work with law-enforcement agencies, or certain parts of law-enforcement agencies, that are going to support them regardless of their views.”
“Members of Congress should be able to say what they want to say without being threatened by being shot. And when they do receive a threat that they might get shot, they should be able to call 911 and know that they’re going to get the kind of response that anybody else would get,” the member continued. “That’s a real thing.”
The top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, Rep. Joe Morelle, told NOTUS that there’s bipartisan support for sustainable funding for in-district security. In House Republicans’ short-term continuing resolution, there’s an additional $30 million for the Capitol Police’s mutual-aid program, which would allow Capitol Police to work with local and state law enforcement.
“That allows us to really, fully engage local law enforcement, and to reimburse them where they don’t have budget,” Morelle said.
But some House Democrats have expressed concerns with relying on local law enforcement when they’re in their districts because they can be hard to access.
Shortly after the House Administration Committee announced on Wednesday that it would be increasing available funding for the member personal-security pilot program, a group of lawmakers from both parties approached Speaker Mike Johnson on the House floor to talk about their safety concerns.
A fourth House Democrat, who was part of the group of lawmakers that spoke with Johnson, said that some lawmakers told the speaker that members who live in rural areas might not “have a local law-enforcement agency you can partner with.”
Johnson was asked about the interaction in a gaggle with reporters. He said: “Members of Congress are secure. They’re secured in their residence and in their person. Y’all heard me say that over and over.”
“This is not a signal that anyone is in any jeopardy at all. It’s just we want to have the absolute best protection that we can, and so we’ve been carefully evaluating this. We had been for months,” Johnson continued. “But now, in earnest, we are, and we’re going to have some solutions and suggestions.”