Increasing threats rattle lawmakers in the wake of shooting
Crime ‘hits close to home’ for members of Congress in contentious climate
WASHINGTON — A voicemail message directed to Arizona Rep. Martha McSally last month warned “our sights are set on you, right between your … eyes.” Another voicemail said: “Yeah, Martha, your days are numbered and next time you show your face in Tucson it might be the last time.”
McSally, a Republican in her second term, forwarded the messages to U.S. Capitol police, resulting in federal charges against an Arizona man.
Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas was threatened with lynching by callers infuriated with his effort to impeach President Donald Trump. One caller used a racial insult and said the seventerm African-American lawmaker would be “hanging from a tree” if he pursues impeachment.
Since the shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise at a Virginia baseball field Wednesday, members of Congress have spoken more freely about how threats of physical violence or death have increased in recent months, leaving lawmakers fearing for their safety as well as the safety of their families and staff.
“I’ve never been so shaken,” said Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.
The Scalise shooting “hits so close to home,” Cramer said. “We’ve all been under this cloud for a while of aggressive social media and threat assessments and thinking about families and whatnot and just trying to determine … is it even worth it” to continue to serve in Congress.
Answering his own question, Cramer said “of course it is,” but said Scalise’s shooting and threats against fellow lawmakers “does cause contemplation at a level I haven’t had since I’ve taken this job.”
Vulnerable targets
The Capitol is one of the bestguarded buildings in the country, but when the vast majority of lawmakers leave the fortress of Capitol Hill, they’re on their own. Wednesday’s shooting highlights the vulnerability of lawmakers when they are in public. Only the congressional leaders have security details.
Even before the shooting, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi had begun talking about changes that could improve members’ safety, said Ryan’s spokeswoman, AshLee Strong.
Cramer, who holds many “Coffees with Cramer” events around North Dakota, said that several weeks ago, a man walked right up to him and tried to shove money down his shirt collar. Since former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot during a town hall event in Arizona in 2011, police and legislative leaders have urged lawmakers to ensure a local police presence at events, a practice Cramer said he has long followed.
“At this point, I think that presence is a requirement to participation” Cramer said, pointing out that it’s not just his safety at risk — it’s everyone who attends. “So if people don’t feel safe coming to see us, we’re robbed of that opportunity. I love the interaction, so we have to think of all that.”
At Cramer’s events, attendees sign in but are not screened for weapons.
Threats hit home
Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., said she has received five death threats this spring and watched children in her suburban St. Louis neighborhood scrub away chalk outlines of dead bodies that had been drawn on the driveway of her home.
The children replaced them with happy faces. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported the threats against Wagner.