By David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Secret Service postponed a meeting on Monday where it was due to field questions from Congress about why agents failed to prevent a gunman from almost killing Donald Trump, as the agency increases protection for the former president.
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle had been due to brief Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee in an afternoon virtual meeting but asked for the session to be rescheduled, according to a panel aide. The aide said the committee expects to receive an alternative briefing date from Secret Service promptly.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green and the panel's top Democrat, Bennie Thompson, were due to speak to a top FBI official on Monday afternoon.
The Secret Service was also slated to brief members of the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday, and Cheatle was expected to appear before that panel for a full-scale hearing on July 22.
The assassination attempt has raised serious concerns in Congress about how the alleged shooter was able to access a nearby rooftop with a direct line of sight to where Trump was speaking. Trump will receive his party's official 2024 nomination for president during the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which begins on Monday.
Biden said on Sunday he had ordered an independent review, and Republican lawmakers vowed swift investigations.
In her first major statement since the shooting, which killed a rally attendee, Cheatle said on Monday the agency was increasing security for Trump and the Republican convention.
"I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday's shooting," Cheatle said in a statement.
Trump said a bullet grazed his ear during the Saturday rally but that he is doing fine. He traveled to Milwaukee on Sunday.
Green spoke to Cheatle by phone on Sunday to ask about Secret Service failures at the rally and to detail his request for emails, text messages and other official documents including plans for securing the perimeter of the venue.
Cheatle committed to providing requested documents to the Committee promptly, as able, the committee aide said.