A bipartisan pair of lawmakers in Congress are putting together legislation that would beef up Secret Service protection for presidential candidates after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) are planning to introduce a bill that would enhance the security received by Trump, President Joe Biden, and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Jake Sherman, co-founder of Punchbowl News, shared a statement from the duo in a post to X on Sunday.

“Last night’s attempted assassination of former President Trump was a dark moment in our nation’s history. As reports continue to emerge, it’s clear that more protection is needed for all major candidates for president,” the two lawmakers said. “That’s why we’re planning on introducing bipartisan legislation providing President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. with enhanced Secret Service protection. Anything less would be a disservice to our democracy.”

The Secret Service is facing intense scrutiny after the shooting at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday in which at least one bullet ripped through the former president’s right ear, one spectator was killed, and two others were grievously injured. After the shooting began, Secret Service personnel could be seen rushing to Trump to offer him protection. But questions are being raised about how the gunman, whom Secret Service personnel killed, managed to get onto a nearby rooftop and start shooting from roughly 150 years away.

Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas demanding information. He noted that there was “some reporting” that suggested the Homeland Security Department, which oversees the Secret Service, “rebuffed” multiple requests from Trump’s security detail to increase protective resources in the preceding weeks.

In a post to X on Sunday, seemingly in response to the reports Green mentioned, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that there was “an untrue assertion that a member of the former President’s team requested additional security resources & that those were rebuffed. This is absolutely false. In fact, we added protective resources & technology & capabilities as part of the increased campaign travel tempo.”

RFK Jr., whose father U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and uncle President John F. Kennedy were both assassinated, has pushed for Secret Service protection while on the campaign trail — only to be denied.

Melania Trump sent a message to the American people on Sunday in response to the attempted assassination on her husband, former President Donald Trump, during a rally in Pennsylvania the day before. Her statement mentioned their son Barron, the suspected gunman who has been killed by law enforcement, and the families of the other victims — one of whom was killed in the attack. She also thanked law enforcement and talked about the human side of her spouse in a way not often seen publicly from the former first lady.

“I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans. We have always been a unique union. America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one,” Melania Trump said. “When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change. I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband.”

“To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me,” she continued. “A monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine attempted to ring out Donald’s passion — his laughter, ingenuity, love of music, and inspiration. The core facets of my husband’s life — his human side — were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times.”

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— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) July 14, 2024

Melania Trump went on to discuss the tense political climate as her husband runs another campaign for the White House, setting up a 2020 rematch against President Joe Biden in November’s election. Her statement further called for unity among the American people regardless of their political leanings, advocated for love and community to prevail over hatred, and thanked those who have reached out across the political divide.

“Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment — until death — is at serious risk. Political concepts are simple when compared to us, human beings,” Melania Trump said. “We are all humans, and fundamentally, instinctively, we want to help one another. American politics are only one vehicle that can uplift our communities. Love, compassion, kindness and empathy are necessities.”

“And let us remember that when the time comes to look beyond the left and the right, beyond the red and the blue, we all come from families with the passion to fight for a better life together, while we are here, in this earthly realm,” Melania Trump  added. “Dawn is here again. Let us reunite. Now. This morning, ascend above the hate, the vitriol, and the simple-minded ideas that ignite violence. We all want a world where respect is paramount, family is first, and love transcends. We can realize this world again. Each of us must demand to get it back. We must insist that respect fills the cornerstone of our relationships, again.”

She concluded, “I am thinking of you, my fellow Americans. The winds of change have arrived. For those of you who cry in support, I thank you. I commend those of you who have reached out beyond the political divide — thank you for remembering that every single politician is a man or a woman with a loving family.”