A bipartisan legislative push is currently underway to fundamentally restructure the federal government by removing the U.S. Secret Service from the Department of Homeland Security. This move comes as lawmakers look to address significant concerns regarding agency efficiency and the safety of top government officials following a series of security incidents.
The proposal, which would transfer the Secret Service to the Executive Office of the President, is being spearheaded by Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Rep. Russell Fry, The Hill reported. The push for this change follows a recent attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. Federal prosecutors allege that the event was a target aimed at the president and his administration.
During this specific incident, Secret Service agents successfully escorted the president and his Cabinet away from the scene. One agent was struck in the chest, but because they were wearing a bulletproof vest, they remained uninjured.
The WHCA shooting has clearly catalyzed a sense of urgency among representatives who believe the current bureaucratic framework is hindering the agency
Rep. Russell Fry explained the logic behind this major transition in a Thursday statement. “Moving the Secret Service to the White House allows the organization to uphold its mission while simultaneously giving them more direct accountability to the President of the United States,” Fry said.
He also emphasized the necessity of refocusing the agency away from administrative hurdles. “In a time where political attacks are becoming more and more rampant, the Secret Service should be able to focus solely on its mission of protecting top U.S. officials — not dealing with bureaucratic tape that ultimately serves as a distraction to keeping the President safe.”
It is worth noting that this legislative move arrives after a difficult year regarding security. The president faced two separate assassination attempts during 2024. The first occurred at a campaign stop in July in Butler, Pennsylvania, while the second took place in September at the president’s golf club in Palm Beach, Florida. These events, combined with the recent dinner incident, have highlighted the immense pressure currently placed on the Secret Service.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz is also backing a broader set of bills aimed at reassigning other agencies currently under the Department of Homeland Security. These proposals follow a record-breaking funding shutdown at the department. While the president did sign a bill to fund most DHS agencies, that legislation notably excluded Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, which were previously funded under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Moskowitz believes that the department has become too bloated to function effectively in its current state.
“DHS has simply grown too big and too vulnerable to political dysfunction,” Moskowitz said in a Thursday statement. “Let’s be clear: when a department becomes this massive, the mission gets lost,” he continued. “Secret Service needs help and under the current DHS bureaucracy, that reform is never going to happen. FEMA needs to be able to move faster when disaster strikes, and it cannot do that when it is buried inside a massive bureaucracy. And airport security should be aligned with the same FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] that governs our skies.”
As part of this larger effort to streamline government operations, the proposed bills would establish the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an independent entity. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is currently running for governor in Florida, has joined the effort behind the FEMA Independence Act. This bill would elevate the organization to a Cabinet-level agency that reports directly to the president. The two lawmakers previously introduced this legislation last fall.
Regarding the necessity of this change, Donalds said, “When disaster strikes, quick and effective action must be the standard–not the exception. It is imperative that the bureaucratic labyrinth of FEMA is simplified and streamlined to directly report to the President of the United States to better serve our citizens in their hour of need.”
Additionally, the legislation aims to move the Transportation Security Administration under the Department of Transportation. Rep. Tim Burchett is co-leading this effort, noting that the agency has been under the control of the Department of Homeland Security since 2003. Burchett argued that the current alignment makes the agency susceptible to political issues during funding disputes.
“The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been used as pawns during recent government shutdowns because it is controlled by the Department of Homeland Security,” Burchett said in a Thursday statement. “Since the Department of Transportation already oversees air travel in the United States, it should also be responsible for overseeing the personnel who provide its security.”
Published: May 8, 2026 06:15 pm