Bipartisan task force members named in Trump assassination investigation

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ORLANDO, Florida. – Following last week’s vote to establish a task force to investigate security failures surrounding the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday announced the members of Congress who will serve on the bipartisan panel.

The task force consists of 13 members, including seven Republicans and six Democrats. It is tasked with finding out what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination and making recommendations to prevent future security lapses. It is expected to submit a final report before December 13 and has the power to issue subpoenas.

The full list is at the end of this article and includes three representatives from Florida’s congressional delegation: two Republicans – Rep. Laurel Lee, who represents the 15th District, and Rep. Michael Waltz, who represents the 6th District – and one Democrat, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who represents the 23rd District.

The task force will be chaired by Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, and its ranking member will be Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado.

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The Task Force underlines the cross-party outrage over the Shoot at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bill passed with a vote of 416 to 0.

Trump nearly lost his life. One protester was killed and two others were seriously injured. Lawmakers responded quickly with hearings and widespread calls for accountability. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was also killed by authorities.

House committees have already held hearings on the shooting. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned last Tuesday, a day after she appeared before a congressional committee and was berated for hours by Democrats and Republicans for security failures. She called the Trump attack the Secret Service’s “most significant operational error” in decades, but angered lawmakers by not answering specific questions about the investigation.

Republican members of the task force:

• Chairman Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-16) represents Pennsylvania’s 16th District and lives in his hometown of Butler, the site of the assassination. He has longstanding ties to local law enforcement, is the author of the resolution establishing the task force, and will serve as its chairman.
• MP Mark Green (TN-07) is a former U.S. Army major, combat veteran, and emergency medical technician who currently chairs the Homeland Security Committee.
• Representative David Joyce (OH-14) served as an attorney and district attorney for 25 years and is a former chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.
• Representative Laurel Lee (FL-15) is a former Assistant United States Attorney, Judge of the 13th Judicial District of Florida, and former Secretary of State of Florida. She serves on the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees.
• Representative Michael Waltz (FL-06) is a retired member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and a former White House and Pentagon advisor. He serves on the House Intelligence Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and the Oversight Committee.
• Representative Clay Higgins (LA-03) is a former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and former law enforcement officer who holds an active commission and a Peace Officer’s Standards and Training (POST) certificate. He serves on the Homeland Security and Oversight Committee.
• Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04) is a former U.S. Air Force officer who serves on the Oversight and Armed Services committees and their respective subcommittees dealing with tactical air and land forces and national security.

Democratic members of the task force:

• Highest ranking representative: Jason Crow (CO-06) is a decorated former Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. For his heroism in Iraq, Rep. Crow was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. He is a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
• Representative Lou Correa (CA-46) is a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence. In this capacity, Representative Correa recently traveled to Butler, Pennsylvania, to visit the site of the assassination.
• Member of Parliament Madeleine Dean (PA-04) is currently a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. He is a long-time Pennsylvania state employee, serving in the state House of Representatives for six and a half years before joining Congress.
• Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) is a veteran of the United States Air Force and currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
• Representative Glenn Ivey (MD-04) is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and District Attorney for Prince George’s County who now serves on the House Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and Ethics Committee.
• Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) is the former director of the Florida Department of Emergency Management, where he was responsible for both disaster response and post-event analysis. He serves on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.