Chairman Carper Statement on U.S. Secret Service

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding the U.S. Secret Service:

“Secretary Johnson has informed me that he has accepted Director Pierson’s resignation. I know this was a difficult decision for Director Pierson, and I thank her for her 30 years of service to the agency and to our nation. Now, it is time to turn the page. It is critical for us to understand the obvious dissonance that exists within an agency that can secure an event with over 100 world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City for nearly three weeks without apparent incident, but simultaneously fail to keep an intruder from running into the White House.

“I am encouraged that Secretary Johnson has appointed Deputy Secretary Ali Mayorkas to lead the investigation into what went wrong during the September 19 incident at the White House. I also support the Secretary’s decision to appoint an independent panel to investigate the Secret Service’s training, operating procedures, management, and culture to determine whether these problems are endemic and what must be done to fix them. The key to this panel’s success is having the right people and the right leadership.  I recommend that the Secretary selects a panel of members with unimpeachable integrity who are steeped in law enforcement and related areas. My committee and I will continue to stay in close contact with the Department of Homeland Security and will take appropriate next steps once these reviews are completed.”