Shenango Valley News

In his latest op-ed published Friday in Newsweek, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) details his personal account of the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Kelly's hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania. Kelly explains the importance of his legislation to establish a bipartisan task force to investigate the assassination attempt. The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 416-0 on Wednesday.

"I was approximately 50 feet away from former president Donald Trump on July 13 at his rally in my hometown of Butler, Pennsylvania, when the gunfire rang out. The chilling video and poignant photographs of the attempted assassination on our nation's 45th president are stark reminders of how quickly life can be jeopardized; and, sadly, how quickly life can be taken. May we remember the life of Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter, 10-year U.S. Army Reserve veteran, husband, and father who was killed by the gunman during the rally. I continue to pray for his family," wrote Kelly.

"The goals of my legislation and of this task force are simple: to investigate, detail, and explain the security breakdowns that tragically killed one person, injured two others, and nearly claimed President Trump's life. We must never let something like it happen again."

"In the aftermath of the assassination attempt, I heard calls from both sides of the aisle to lower the political temperature, to tamp down the rhetoric. I echo these calls. My hope is that by establishing the task force we will shine a light on the facts that so many Americans have been desperately seeking. I know that's the case in Butler, Pennsylvania."

"This is why I believe the task force is critical: we must utilize the collective power of Congress as a tool to dig deeper and find the facts. The shooting wounded Mr. Trump took the life of Corey Comperatore and injured two other Pennsylvanians. It's important that we don't jump to any conclusions as we begin these investigations. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get American people answers they deserve."