By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Public anger over passage of the unpopular health care reform bill continues to rise with more and more lawmakers reporting serious threats being made against themselves and their families.
The Washington Post is reporting that the number of threats has increased three-fold since the beginning of the year, with 42 threats against lawmakers being made in the first three months of this year compared to only 15 in the last three months of 2009.
“The incidents ranged from very vulgar to serious threats, including death threats,” said Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance W. Gainer. “The ability to carry them out is another question and part of an investigation to determine what, if any, appropriate steps to take.”
Nearly all of the threats appear to be coming from opponents of the health-care overhaul, said Gainer, and there have been “significantly more” threats against House members than against senators.
Thus far three people have been arrested in connection with these threats. Gregory L. Giusti was charged with making dozens of threatening calls to the home and to the office of the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Another man, Charles A. Wilson, was arrested near Yakima, Washington for “leaving expletive laden threatening messages” on multiple occasions at the office of Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) including a recorded message that said, “I want to kill you.”
On March 29, Norman Leboon of Philadelphia was charged with threatening to kill Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) on a YouTube video. Police say the suspect has multiple personalities and is not fit to stand trial.
In response to the threats, Capitol officials are working to ensure that the 454 Senate offices across the country are secure. Some are receiving additional equipment to help with the screening of mail while others are changing locks and adding surveillance cameras.
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) admitted that he has received threats during the health-care debate but that he’s “handled them quietly.”
“There’s simply more anger out there about the direction of our country,” he told the Post. “I see it and feel it in the public meetings I go to. But I’m going to the same places and doing the same things I always have.”
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