Wednesday’s shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Va. has renewed concerns over the public safety of members of Congress, and some members see limiting town halls as one way to ensure member safety.
Republicans have faced rowdy town hall crowds since the November election, and the politically-motivated appearance of the shooting at Eugene Simpson Field has caused some congressmen to call for a change to the town hall structure, The Hill reports.
“That’s what these events are for, but there’s a level, you know, when people cross a line to actually inciting other people,” Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Lou Barletta said, “and when individual safety becomes an issue then the purpose of doing it is lost.”
Despite the purported usefulness of these public discussions with constituents, the lack of security has become a bigger concern for congressional lawmakers. While party leadership receive security personnel, other members lack a security detail, and the intense town halls have presented legitimate security concerns.
In the aftermath of the shooting, where Republican Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority whip, was struck and remains in critical condition, both Republicans and Democrats expressed concerns over the safety of their colleagues.
Recent threats have reportedly made direct reference to the shooting, with some Democrats reportedly receiving messages saying “You guys are next.”
“I’ve been at the end of some of those town halls where the police had to carry people out,” said Barletta, “and I get concerned not only for your own safety, but for the safety of the people who are there.”
While no decision has been made regarding town hall security, Wednesday’s shooting could serve as a catalyst to increased security for all members of Congress, especially when in public. Scalise’s security detail returned fire and eventually shot the gunman.
“Had they not been there it would have been a massacre,” Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul argued, “because there’s no escaping a guy you know if he’s got several hundred bullets and we had no weapons and no place to hide.”