Senators on Tuesday pleaded with top Capitol Police officials for an uptick in member security funding in the wake of the fatal shooting of a Minnesota state legislator.

The killing of Melissa Hortman, a Democratic former Speaker of the Minnesota House, and her husband over the weekend sent a chill down the spine of lawmakers who were already concerned about the heightened political rhetoric and increasing number of threats against officials.

That prompted the Capitol Police and the Senate sergeant at arms to hold a briefing for members, during which multiple lawmakers made the case for more security funding.

“We need a more systematic approach to dealing with the security threats. The security threats are clearly going up and I think we need an overall plan and we need better security,” said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who attended the briefing.

“It’s both funding and coordination, and general situational awareness,” he continued. “If threats are coming in against members, it might help to ensure everybody’s aware of it because everyone else may be experiencing something similar and we’d be able to be on the lookout.”

The briefing came at the request of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) days after an assailant, later identified by police as Vance Boelter, 57, killed Hortman and her husband, Mark, and wounded state Sen. John Hoffman (D-Minn.) and his wife, Yvette.

© The Hill