Sen. Capito: Parades May Be Too Dangerous to Attend

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2025 — Some on Capitol Hill are concerned about their public safety after the Sept. 10 murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk while speaking at an outdoor event in Orem, Utah, with hundreds in attendance.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito R-W.Va., recently said she may reassess “the forward-facing portion of her work as a senator,” adding that working with large crowds may no longer be an option.

“I probably can’t go on parades,” Capito said on a local West Virginia radio show, naming events she once attended and supported but will most likely avoid going forward.

The senator blamed heated dialogue and volatile rhetoric for inspiring dangerous actions.

 “We’ve got to tone the rhetoric down on both sides,” Capito said. She added that new justification for violence makes America look like a “third-world country.”

Her comments echoed concerns raised after the killings and attempted assassinations in Minnesota in June. 

Then-Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed, and Sen. John Hoffman D-MN. and his wife survived an assassination attempt. Lawmakers from both parties said the violence showed how current political rhetoric dehumanizes those with differing opinions.

A NPR poll conducted shortly after the Minnesota attacks found that 73 percent of respondents believed political violence was a major problem.

The unease has reached the campaign trail as well. At a recent event in New Jersey, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., met with voters, where concerns about safety and political violence were included in the conversation.

Capito said additional funding is needed to enhance security for members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

“In these difficulties I would say it is a high priority,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is pushing legislation to boost security for lawmakers after the assassination of Charlie Kirk heightened concerns about threats to public officials. 

On Sept. 18, Thune won unanimous Senate approval for a rule change letting senators use existing office and staff funds for security. But he also pledged to work with Democrats on a new bill to provide additional resources, after Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif,,warned that shifting current funds would force lawmakers to choose between paying staff and protecting themselves.

Members of the House pushed increased security funding as well, according to news outlets.

The Republican-led House on Friday passed a government funding bill that includes about $88 million to bolster security for lawmakers as well as members of the Supreme Court and Executive Branch.

The measure doubled a monthly stipend for House members to $10,000 for security needs, part of a program launched in July after the assassination of Hortman and her husband. Lawmakers may also spend up to $20,000 on in-home security equipment.