Daily Dose: Secret Service Ready for a Busy 2012

The Washington Post reports today that the Secret Service is gearing up for a busy 2012. The Director of the Secret Service, Mark Sullivan, stated that 2012 will be “a very demanding and challenging year.” The Secret Service will have to continue to provide security for President Obama, Vice President Biden and their families, the GOP Presidential candidate, foreign dignitaries, and former presidents.The Post also identified numerous events they will be providing security for. The Post listed six events, November’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Hawaii, the annual State of the Union address, next spring’s NATO summit and G-20 meetings in Chicago, and next summer’s Republican convention in Tampa and Democratic convention in Charlotte.

The Washington Post gave some statistics about the Secret Service which are pretty remarkable:

In the past two years, Secret Service special agents have provided 100 percent incident-free protection to dignitaries during more than 6,100 trips across the United States and about 560 overseas trips, according to Sullivan. In 2010, the agency provided security for visits by 236 foreign officials and their spouses — mostly during a nuclear security summit in Washington and United Nations meetings in New York.

The post reported that the Secret Service is requesting $1.69 billion to support security missions. Seems to me that the Secret Service should have an agreement of ask and you shall receive, keeping our officials safe is one of the most important tasks in government.

With such a tight budget, is 1.69 billion the right number? Too high, too low?

Secret Service Preparing for a Busy 2012

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