In a rare joint meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chairman Dick Durbin emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into a recent assassination attempt on a former president. Highlighting the stark contrast between cinematic portrayals of assassins and the reality of the incident involving a 20-year-old college student in Butler, Pennsylvania, Durbin called for hard questions to be asked about the circumstances surrounding the event.

Durbin pointed to the alarming accessibility of AR-15 style rifles as a significant factor contributing to the violence. He noted that Pennsylvania, like many states, permits individuals to openly carry loaded rifles without a permit, and that assault rifles can be purchased from unlicensed dealers without background checks. This, he argued, creates dangerous loopholes in gun laws that have been exploited in numerous mass shootings across the country.

The chairman stressed the importance of bipartisan cooperation in protecting elected officials, stating that safeguarding democracy requires unity in addressing such threats. He urged for a focus on transparency and accountability in ongoing investigations by the Secret Service and FBI, while also calling for a departure from incendiary rhetoric that often permeates political discussions.

As the meeting progressed, Durbin expressed hope that this hearing would serve as a model for collaborative efforts to prevent future incidents of violence against political figures.