WASHINGTON — The Senate unanimously passed legislation Tuesday to boost Secret Service protection for presidential candidates, sending the bill to the White House for President Joe Biden's signature.
The strong show of bipartisan support came days after the House passed the measure, known as the Enhanced Presidential Security Act, without any opposition in a 405-0 vote.
The bill would give former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris the same level of protection provided to Biden. At only three pages long, the bill gives broad discretion to the Secret Service on how to apply measures to reach that level.
It comes the same month as an apparent second attempt to assassinate Trump. Biden called on Congress to act last week, saying that the Secret Service “needs more help.”
The Trump campaign, the Harris campaign and the Secret Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Senate passage of the bill.
The Enhanced Presidential Security Act was introduced in the House by Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., brought the legislation to the Senate floor.
Following the House vote on Friday, Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe said during a press conference that Trump is already receiving “the highest levels of secret service protection.” He added that Trump was receiving everything Biden is “with respect to Secret Service.”
At the same time, Rowe said the agency needs “a paradigm shift” in its approach to protecting presidents.
The passage of the bill comes as the House mulls a broader spending measure that includes a plan to provide an additional $231 million for the Secret Service.
It also comes a day after Trump accused the Justice Department of "downplaying" the alleged assassination plot against him in West Palm Beach, Florida. Trump was previously shot in the ear during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13.
