Saturday's shooting at the Washington Hilton, where Secret Service agents subdued an armed suspect outside the White House Correspondents' Association dinner ballroom, has prompted fresh calls from lawmakers for Congress to review its approach to protecting elected officials.
Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz.) told NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday' that he attended the event and experienced the chaos of the evacuation firsthand. The Arizona Republican said he was only able to communicate with his protective detail because he had logged on to the hotel Wi-Fi roughly a minute before the shooting occurred.
'Honestly, it was very lucky,' Hamadeh said. He met his security 'towards the exit of the ballroom' and evacuated safely alongside GOP Reps. Marlin Stutzman (Ind.) and Andy Ogles (Tenn.).
What the Left Is Saying
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), who was on his way into the ballroom when the shooting took place, said Sunday that the incident should serve as a case study for Congress. 'I'm not a security expert, but I will say we should look at this event and study what we could do better to make sure someone can't even try to get close to the ballroom like what happened because of so many important people there,' Subramanyam told host Chris Stirewalt.
The Virginia Democrat's office has not yet released a formal statement on legislative proposals, but his public comments suggest openness to examining security protocols at large political gatherings where members of Congress are present.
What the Right Is Saying
When asked whether 'the legislative branch should be doing something different' regarding security, Hamadeh responded: 'I do.' The Republican stopped short of proposing specific legislation during the interview but indicated the experience had shaped his views on what protections members need.
'Congress should take better steps,' Hamadeh said. He did not elaborate on what those steps might entail, though he emphasized the importance of communication access during high-profile events as a factor in member safety.
What the Numbers Show
Last September, after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot, the House doubled the per-member personal security allowance from $5,000 to $10,000 monthly. That increase took effect in October and applies to all 435 House members.
In fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Capitol Police investigated nearly 15,000 'concerning' statements, behaviors, and communications directed against members of Congress, their families, staff, and the Capitol complex, according to agency data. That figure represents a significant increase from prior years as threats against elected officials have risen.
The suspected gunman in Saturday's shooting has been identified by multiple outlets as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Portland. He was charged with assault on a federal officer, among other offenses, after allegedly attempting to breach a security checkpoint armed with multiple weapons.
The Bottom Line
Saturday's incident at the Washington Hilton is likely to intensify an already active debate about how best to protect members of Congress both on and off Capitol grounds. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed openness to reviewing current protocols, though no formal legislative proposals had been announced as of Sunday evening.
Investigators are still examining how Allen managed to bring multiple firearms into the hotel, where he had reportedly been staying for several days leading up to the event. The Secret Service has not publicly stated what security protocols were in place at the venue or whether any gaps allowed him to get close to the ballroom.