Vulnerable Democrats Horsford, Gottheimer explain votes against bipartisan Supreme Court security bill

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NJ Democrat explains decision to vote against Supreme Court security

Rep. Josh Gottheimer argues the bill needs to provide security for federal judges at all levels in addition to the Supreme Court justices and discusses his support for proposed gun legislation that includes juvenile background checks.

Two Democrats whose congressional seats are considered vulnerable in this year's midterm elections attempted to justify their votes against a bill that would provide the same level of protection to Supreme Court justices and their families that is provided to the U.S. government's legislative and executive branches.

In separate statements provided to Fox News Digital, Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., suggested his support for the bipartisan Supreme Court Police Parity Act of 2022 was contingent upon support for stricter gun control measures. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., explained he opposed the bill because it did not extend protections to all federal judges.

"As innocent lives are lost in Buffalo, Uvalde, Tulsa, and everyday massacres, Republicans in the Senate acted swiftly on increasing security for the Supreme Court," Horsford said, referring to a number of mass shootings, including the tragic deaths of 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school last month.

"They should act as swiftly to protect the innocent lives of our children and so many other victims of the gun violence that is occurring every day throughout our country by passing common sense gun safety reforms that a vast majority of Americans support and demand," he added.

THESE 27 DEMOCRATS VOTED AGAINST PROTECTIONS FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

Rep. Steven Horsford during a news conference outside the Capitol on Aug. 23, 2021. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Gottheimer suggested he voted against the bill because it did not include protections for all federal judges, and pointed to the shooting death of a New Jersey judge's son at their home by a man who had appeared before her in court.

"Why don't some of my colleagues care about the safety of all federal judges?" he wrote. "In 2020, a violent extremist easily found the home address of Judge Esther Salas in New Jersey, he showed up dressed as a FedEx delivery man, and heartbreakingly shot and killed her only child, 20-year-old Daniel."

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"Federal judges are being targeted, a son of one has been killed, and some of my colleagues are refusing to offer any protections," he added. 

Gottheimer later expanded on his vote against the bill in a lengthy Twitter thread, explaining that he actually supported expanding protections for Supreme Court justices, but that he "could not support" a bill that "continues to ignore the pleas of all federal judges for greater security."

Rep. Josh Gottheimer speaks at Capitol Hill, April 6, 2022. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

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The bill passed in the Senate last month by a unanimous consent vote, and passed in the House Tuesday by a vote of 396-27. All 27 "No" votes were Democrats.

However, Gottheimer and Horsford did vote for a bill increasing their own security in 2021 following the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.