US House votes to establish task force to investigate Trump assassination attempt

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US House of Representatives voted unanimously Wednesday to formally establish a bipartisan task force charged with investigating the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump.

The resolution overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 416-0.

The task force will consist of 13 House members and is expected to include seven Republicans and six Democrats and have subpoena power.

A task force has fewer procedural hurdles than a committee or commission, which allows it to conduct its work more efficiently.

It will attempt to determine what went wrong on July 13 when a 20-year-old gunman identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire as Trump was holding a campaign rally in the state of Pennsylvania, wounding the former president but killing a rallygoer and critically injuring two others.

The task force will also aim to ensure accountability for security lapses and seek to prevent future failures. It will ultimately make recommendations to federal agencies and recommend any needed legislation to carry out reforms.

The task force is expected to produce a final report in December.