Are members of Congress actually safe?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, has been hospitalized after an assailant broke into the couple’s residence in San Francisco early Friday morning and attacked him, according to Drew Hammill, a spokesperson for the speaker.
Hammill said in a statement that the assailant is now in custody, the motivation for the attack is under investigation, and that the 82-year-old Pelosi is expected to make a full recovery. Pelosi reportedly suffered blunt force injuries after being attacked with a hammer by an individual who specifically targeted their home. It’s not clear whether the attacker also intended to harm Speaker Pelosi, who was in Washington at the time, but it’s not the first time the Pelosi home has been targeted. It was vandalized in December 2020.
“The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time,” Hammill said.
Lawmakers from both parties have condemned the attack, including Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA):
I wish Mr Pelosi well & pray for a quick recovery Everyone deserves 2b respected & violence is never okay
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) October 28, 2022
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) suggested that Republicans bear some responsibility.
Thank God @SpeakerPelosi’s husband Paul is safe after being attacked in their home by an assailant. While the motive is still unknown we know where this kind of violence is sanctioned and modeled. https://t.co/TaPWBVr5jM
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) October 28, 2022
On Friday morning, Fox News hinted that the attack could be used to Republicans’ advantage in the midterms, with anchors trying to tie it to the party’s message on crime. “This can happen anywhere. Crime is random and that’s why it’s such a significant part of this election story,” Fox anchor Bill Hemmer said.
Fox News instantly plugs the Pelosi home invasion and assault on Paul Pelosi into its GOP talking points, saying this shows that "crime hits everybody" and "this can happen anywhere, crime is random and that's why it's such a significant part of this election story." We'll see. pic.twitter.com/WfkGZUU7tX
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) October 28, 2022
The number of threats against members of Congress rose dramatically between 2017 and 2022, with US Capitol Police investigating nearly 10,000 threats last year.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins told the New York Times in October that an intruder had smashed a storm window in her Bangor, Maine, home and said she “wouldn’t be surprised if a senator or House member were killed.” A man was also charged with felony stalking in July after he showed up outside Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s Seattle home armed with a semiautomatic handgun with a single live round and shouted expletives.
Following the January 6, 2021, attack at the US Capitol, the Federal Election Commission ruled in March 2021 that members of Congress could use campaign funds to pay for personal security services. Since then, their personal security expenditures have ballooned, especially among those who have a high national profile and controversial legislative record, like Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), as well as among Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.
But the attack on Pelosi’s husband, as well as other recent threats made against members of Congress, raise the question as to whether that’s sufficient to ensure their protection.
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