Rep. Mike Kelly's Trump rally shooting task force likely to expand to include second assassination attempt

BUTLER, Pa. (KDKA) — In the wake of the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in less than 10 weeks, one Pittsburgh-area congressman says his committee is ready to take up the bipartisan investigation into what's going on. 

The first assassination attempt on Trump took place in the home county of Republican Congressman Mike Kelly, who chairs a bipartisan congressional task force looking into the Butler shooting.

KDKA-TV's Jon Delano asked Kelly if his task force's jurisdiction should be expanded to include the foiled attempt at Trump's Florida golf course. 

"I did have a conversation with Speaker Johnson this morning. After Mass, he and I talked. I believe that's going to take place very soon. We're going to merge the two events into the same task force," he said. 

Kelly, a Republican, and the ranking Democrat, Congressman Jason Crow of Colorado, have already asked for a Secret Service briefing on what happened in Florida. Kelly says it makes good sense for his ad hoc committee to conduct the review. 

"The advantage of the task force is that we do have the ability to subpoena the other people looking into it. We have a lot of talented people looking into what happened on July 13. I'm sure they'll feel the same way about yesterday.  We are the only body that can subpoena, and I know these are difficult questions for people to answer. We have to get answers, so the American people restore the faith and trust and confidence that they have to have in these agencies and their performance."

Kelly's Democratic neighbor in Allegheny and Beaver counties, Congressman Chris Deluzio agrees, saying congressional oversight of what went wrong and how to fix it is essential. 

"That committee is set up to have Democrats and Republicans work together to really dig in on what can be done to improve security around major party nominees. I think their work should continue in a serious bipartisan way, and I think it makes sense to investigate," Deluzio said. 

With seven weeks left in this campaign, nobody wants a repeat of these attempts with either the former president or with Vice President Harris and their running mates. Both Kelly and Deluzio think more agents and resources are required at the Secret Service.

Kelly's task force must act quickly. It is required to report its findings and recommendations by mid-December.