Senators press nominee on Secret Service failures and committee access to assassination-attempt records
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Summary
Multiple senators used the Jan. 17 hearing to press Kristi Noem about the Secret Service, recent assassination attempts and the committee's access to documents. Noem pledged to work with the committee to provide information and support reforms.
Senators pressed Kristi Noem about transparency and reforms at the Secret Service, following committee investigations into assassination attempts and protective failures.
Senator Ron Johnson and others described bipartisan investigative work and a committee statute requiring DHS and the Secret Service to turn over relevant information. Johnson said the current Secret Service and DHS leadership had resisted sharing documents and witnesses; he asked Noem whether she would “open the books” if confirmed. Noem replied, “I will certainly work with you to build transparency and make sure the facts are shared with you and your committee.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal, who co-led a subcommittee investigation, told Noem the committee’s report called for “major reforms, in my view, a housecleaning, top to bottom in the Secret Service.” Noem said she would “work with you to do that and to work, to make sure that we have that transparency and the committee has the information that it needs.”
Committee members said their ongoing investigation remains active and requested continued cooperation; Noem agreed to engage with the committee and to help the panel obtain facts and recommend reforms if confirmed.