Members of the House of Representatives will now have access to significantly more public funding for personal and home security, as political violence and threats against lawmakers continue to rise.
The House Administration Committee announced Tuesday that lawmakers can now use up to $20,000 in taxpayer funds to improve home security — double the previous $10,000 cap.
Additionally, representatives will receive $5,000 per month through September 30 to pay for personal security services such as hiring private guards while in their home districts — a sharp increase from the prior allowance of just $150.
The new policy comes just ahead of the August recess, when members of Congress return home and often hold public events, including town halls.
While lawmakers have long been permitted to use campaign funds for personal protection — and many do — the expanded public funding helps cover security costs for those with fewer financial resources. Wealthier members sometimes pay for private security out of pocket.
The change follows a string of alarming incidents, including what the Department of Justice described as “targeted political assassinations” in Minnesota last month.
In that attack, Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot at home. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were also targeted and injured but survived.
Other lawmakers continue to face threats. Most recently, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) saw her Bronx office vandalized following her vote against a proposed cut to funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Her spokesperson, Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben, said on X that the office had received “multiple threats on the Congresswoman’s life” and that the team was working closely with law enforcement and security partners to ensure the safety of staff and volunteers.
