Senators want next Secret Service director to be Senate-confirmed

Senators from both parties are demanding more control over who future Secret Service directors are following the resignation Tuesday of former agency head Kimberly Cheatle .

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) unveiled legislation that would require Secret Service directors appointed by the president to be confirmed by the Senate and serve no more than a single 10-year term.

The senators said the rationale is three-pronged: Provide increased oversight by allowing lawmakers to more seriously recommend nominees, investigate candidates and their qualifications, and press nominees on relevant agency matters.

“Our bill is a crucial step toward providing the transparency and accountability that Congress and the American people deserve from the Secret Service,” Grassley said.

Cortez Masto noted the proposal would “ensure the same level of oversight as other federal law enforcement agencies,” such as the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, immigration enforcement and border patrol, and the U.S. Marshals.

The pair is looking to fast-track the legislation's approval in the Democratic-led chamber without a roll call vote, according to Grassley's office. The expedited route would bypass timely legislative procedures but could be blocked by any one member. The GOP-controlled House would then be tasked with considering it on its own schedule.

Cheatle’s resignation came in response to mounting bipartisan frustration over her handling of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and just one day after she was grilled during a House Oversight Committee hearing. She declined to answer most of the lawmakers' questions due to an investigation, further infuriating members and fueling calls for her ouster.

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President Joe Biden thanked Cheatle for her service and said he will “appoint a new director soon.”

“The independent review to get to the bottom of what happened on July 13 continues, and I look forward to assessing its conclusions. We all know what happened that day can never happen again,” Biden said in a statement. “As we move forward, I wish Kim all the best, and I will plan to appoint a new director soon.”