On July 17, Congress received a private briefing about the assassination attempt. During the briefing, the Secret Service informed lawmakers that the gunman was identified as suspicious one hour before he attacked former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who was present at the briefing, stated that the Secret Service lost sight of the gunman, who was equipped with a range finder and a backpack.
Following the briefing, Senator Barrasso called for the resignation of the head of the Secret Service, emphasizing the severity of the situation where someone lost their life and the President was nearly killed. Members of Congress were updated on the July 13 assassination attempt on former President Trump and the subsequent investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice.
The briefing was initially scheduled for July 16 for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee but was canceled due to disagreements over timing. The July 17 briefing was held for all members of Congress in both chambers, although it received criticism from Republican lawmakers for being uninformative and lacking accountability.
Various senators, including Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), expressed dissatisfaction with the briefing and called for answers and accountability from the Secret Service. Lawmakers were appalled to learn that the Secret Service was aware of a threat prior to President Trump taking the stage at the rally, raising concerns about security lapses and misinformation.
The Secret Service is facing scrutiny from Congress, with Senator Johnson announcing the creation of a special task force to investigate the incident. Despite calls for her resignation, the Secret Service director, Ms. Cheatle, has stated that she will not step down. House committees have scheduled hearings with Ms. Cheatle, and a subpoena has been issued to compel her appearance or face contempt of Congress.
Overall, the Secret Service’s handling of the security at the rally and the subsequent investigation have raised significant concerns among lawmakers, prompting further inquiries and demands for transparency. Can you rewrite this sentence for me?
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