U.S. Lawmakers Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) said Sunday they'll carry firearms back home after the deadly attack on Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Their decision raises questions about whether lawmakers should carry guns for self defense - or need to.
"After the elections, I let my guard down, Now I know I need to have [my gun] on me." Shuler, an ex-NFL player, stated.
Representatives Shuler and Chaffetz won't be the first lawmakers carrying hardware.
A federal mandate allows The U.S. Marshals Service to deputize a member of Congress as a special U.S. Deputy Marshal if a threat assessment can show they are in danger. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was granted deputy status after receiving death threats in the 1990s. Carrying a special deputy badge allows the bearer to carry a concealed handgun anywhere, including inside a federal building like the U.S. Capitol.
Most members of congress in need, receive 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.
A plan for a massive underground security screening center was already underway when crazed gunman Russell Weston blasted his way into the U.S. Capitol in 1998, killing Officers Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, who was House Leader Tom DeLay's bodyguard. Gibson heroically stopped the crazed killer by wounding him.
