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By Alia Shoaib
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Republicans in Congress have launched multiple investigations into the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, demanding answers over what some describe as a "security failure."
At a rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, a shooter on a nearby rooftop took aim at Trump and struck his right ear with a bullet. Trump appears to have escaped with a minor injury, but one rallygoer was killed and two people were critically injured.
Questions have been raised about how the shooter was able to get into that position and why law enforcement failed to act upon witness reports of a man with a gun on the roof.
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Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, told Axios that he plans to hold a hearing on July 22 with testimony from Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.
He has already spoken to Cheatle in the wake of the shooting, according to multiple reports, and the Secret Service director had agreed to provide requested documents to the committee.
Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Mark Green, who is the House Homeland Security Committee Chair, has requested documents about the security plan for the rally from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with a deadline of July 19.
In a letter to Mayorkas, Green wrote: "The seriousness of this security failure and chilling moment in our nation's history cannot be understated. This raises serious concerns regarding how a shooter was able to access a rooftop within range and direct line of sight of where President Trump was speaking."
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Green's letter also referenced reports that claimed that Trump's security team had requested additional protection but had been rebuffed by the Department of Homeland Security.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement that these claims were "absolutely false."
"In fact, recently the U.S. Secret Service added protective resources and capabilities to the former President's security detail," he said.
Rep. Mike Turner, who is the House Intelligence Committee Chairman, is also overseeing another investigation into the incident, he told CNN's "State of the Union."
He said that Congress had "oversight scrutiny and responsibility" and that there was a "failure of the overall broader net."
Newsweek has reached out to the Secret Service and DHS via email, as well as Reps. Green, Comer and Turner via contact forms on their websites outside of regular working hours.
House Speaker Mike Johnson promised that there will be a "full investigation" into the shooting to determine "where there were lapses in security and anything else that the American people need to know and deserve to know."
Fox News reporter Chad Pergram said that it is expected that the House Oversight Committee investigation will focus on the Secret Service's role, the Homeland Security Committee will look at the Department of Homeland Security, while the Intelligence Committee will look at the FBI.
Several Democratic lawmakers also called for inquiries into the incident.
The Senate Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Democrat Gary Peters, will lead the Committee's investigation into the incident.
The shooter, identified by the FBI as 20-year-old Thomas Crooks, was shot and killed by Secret Service at the scene.
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