NEW YORK - January 9, 2011 - Two lawmakers said Sunday they would pack heat back home after the deadly attack on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
The decision by Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) raises new questions about whether lawmakers should carry guns for self defense.
"After the elections, I let my guard down," Shuler, an ex-NFL player, told Politico. "Now I know I need to have [my gun] on me."
Shuler and Chaffetz won't be the first lawmakers to be strapped.
The U.S. Marshals Service can deputize a member of Congress as a special deputy marshal if a threat assessment shows they are in danger, according to a federal law enforcement official.
Carrying a special deputy badge allows the bearer to carry a concealed handgun anywhere, including inside a federal building like the U.S. Capitol.
Those who are so deputized aren't publicized, but Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he was granted deputy status after receiving death threats in the 1990s.
Most members prefer to accept protection from plainclothes U.S. Capitol Police - a perk of power typically reserved only for top congressional leaders.
During last year's health care debate, the Capitol Police temporarily assigned bodyguards to several lawmakers after they were threatened.