US House more than doubles security spending for members’ homes and protective details

Each U.S. House member will receive up to $20,000 to install or enhance security systems at their home residences and up to $5,000 a month to hire private security teams through September 2025, the Committee on House Administration announced Tuesday.

The huge funding boost for home and personal security comes more than five weeks after the June 14 assassination of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) and her husband, Mark Hortman, inside their suburban Minneapolis home.

The USCP Threat Assessment Section investigated 9,474 ‘concerning statements and direct threats’ against members of Congress in 2024.

The suspect, Vance Luther Boelter, faces a possible death sentence under a federal grand jury indictment handed up July 15. His federal public defender said Boelter plans to plead not guilty to all charges when he is arraigned Sept. 12 in Minneapolis.

Boelter is accused of a gruesome plot to murder at least seven Minnesota lawmakers and family members in the predawn hours of June 14. The FBI said Boelter shot state Sen. John Hoffman (DFL-Champlin) nine times and his wife, Yvette, eight times in their suburban home. Boelter went on to force his way into the Hortman residence and killed the former Minnesota House speaker, her husband, and their golden retriever, the FBI said.

Boelter was reportedly dressed as a police officer and drove an SUV painted and outfitted to look like a police vehicle. The FBI found what it said was a hit list in the suspect’s SUV containing the names of more than 45 primarily Democrat lawmakers from six states.

$5,000 per month

“The enhanced member security framework aims to address security gaps and alleviate members’ concerns while fulfilling their duties as elected officials, particularly in their districts and residences,” the Committee on House Administration said in a statement.

“This plan will bolster the lifetime Residential Security Program limit to $20,000 for each member, to allow for a more comprehensive suite of security equipment to be installed at their residences and address rising costs in security equipment since the start of the program,” read a one-page circular sent to all House members. The previous limit was $10,000.

RELATED: Accused Minnesota assassin: ‘If you want to save the country you have to get your hands dirty’

US Capitol Police will work with local law enforcement to increase security for members of Congress in their districts. Photo by Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images

The plan increases the monitoring and maintenance allotment from $150 per month to $5,000, and allows members to “use the proposed allotment to hire licensed and insured individuals or companies to provide personal security for the remainder of FY2025,” the memo said.

Under the plan, the House Security Assistance Authorization program will work with U.S. Capitol Police to develop memoranda of understanding with local police in each member’s district so “local law enforcement can provide additional coverage should a threat arise,” the memo said.

Capitol Police officials have reported a sharp increase in threats to members of Congress in recent years. The USCP Threat Assessment Section investigated 9,474 “concerning statements and direct threats” against members of Congress in 2024. That figure represented an 18% increase from 2023.

Threat cases rose every year since 2017 except 2022, the year after the Jan. 6 protests and rioting, Capitol Police reported in February 2025.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) moved up the start of the annual August recess, with the final House votes taking place July 23. House business will resume Sept. 2 after the Labor Day holiday.

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