Secret Service officials are set to provide a bipartisan briefing to Congress regarding training and recruitment issues following an incident where an agent on Vice President Kamala Harris’s protective detail assaulted her supervisor.
The briefing, scheduled for June 21, comes in response to a letter from House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.
The Secret Service confirmed to Fox News Digital that they will comply with the House Oversight Committee’s request for a briefing based on Comer’s letter dated May 30, 2024.
Chairman Comer addressed U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, an appointee of President Biden, in his correspondence.
Comer highlighted a troubling report involving a Secret Service agent assigned to protect Vice President Harris.
According to Comer, the agent physically attacked her superior and other agents at Joint Base Andrews on April 22.
The incident, which the Secret Service labeled a “medical matter,” resulted in the agent being handcuffed and removed from the vice president’s detail.
The altercation occurred around 9 a.m. at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The Washington Examiner was the first to report on this confrontation.
Real Clear Politics later added that the agent had been acting “erratically” and had punched her supervisor.
The altercation did not affect Vice President Harris’s schedule as she was still at the Naval Observatory during the incident.
Concerns within the agency have been exacerbated by this incident, with Secret Service personnel circulating a petition calling for a congressional investigation.
The petition cited issues with inadequate training and a perceived double standard in disciplinary actions.
There were also questions about whether past incidents in the agent’s work history were overlooked during the hiring process, potentially as a result of relaxed standards amid staff shortages and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Comer emphasized these points in his letter to Director Cheatle, questioning the agency’s hiring and screening processes. He requested a briefing for committee staff by June 13, slightly preceding the now scheduled June 21 congressional briefing.
The Secret Service, tasked with protecting the president, vice president, and their families, now faces scrutiny over its internal processes and standards, as highlighted by this recent altercation.
The upcoming briefing aims to address these concerns and provide clarity on the measures being taken to prevent future incidents.
