July 22 (UPI) -- Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified on Capitol Hill on Monday that the recent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania was "the most significant operational failure of the Secret Service in decades," as she refused to provide specific answers, angered lawmakers and fueled bipartisan calls for her resignation.
By the conclusion of Monday's House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing, the top Democrat and its Republican chairman called on Cheatle to resign.
In a joint letter to Cheatle, Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and ranking Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland wrote, "the United States Secret Service under your leadership failed to protect former President Donald Trump from an assassination attempt that took the life of Corey Comperatore and seriously injured at least two other people."
"Today, you failed to provide answers to basic questions regarding that stunning operational failure and to reassure the American people that the Secret Service has learned its lessons and begun to correct its systemic blunders and failures."
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"We call on you to resign as Director as a first step to allowing new leadership to swiftly address this crisis and rebuild the trust of a truly concerned Congress and the American people," Comer and Raskin wrote.
"In the middle of a presidential election, the Committee and the American people demand serious institutional accountability and transparency that you are not providing."
Cheatle repeatedly vowed to stay on as Secret Service director during Monday's hearing.
"I will remain on, and be responsible to the agency, to this committee, to the former president and to the American public," Cheatle said.
Cheatle opened Monday's hearing with a statement accepting fault, but leaned into the FBI's ongoing investigation to defer lawmakers' questions for the remainder of her testimony.
"On July 13, we failed," Cheatle said Monday morning in her opening statement as she took "full responsibility for any security lapses in our agency."
"As an agency, we are fully cooperating with the FBI's investigation, the oversight you have initiated here, and conducting our own internal mission assurance review at my direction," Cheatle wrote in remarks obtained by ABC News prior to Monday's hearing. "Likewise, we will cooperate with the pending external review and the DHS Office of the Inspector General."
The hearing grew contentious during questioning by both Republicans and Democrats, who blasted Cheatle for her lack of information nine days after the shooting.
"You're full of [expletive] today!" Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina shouted at Cheatle.
"We have asked you repeatedly to answer our questions," Mace said, adding that Cheatle failed to provide lawmakers with requested documents before the hearing.
Mace also slammed Cheatle for her opening statement, which had been leaked to the press before the hearing began.
"I have no idea how my statement got out," Cheatle claimed, to which Mace replied, "that's [expletive]!"
"What time did law enforcement become aware that there was an individual on the roof with a clear line of sight to President Trump?" Mace asked.
"I am still verifying timelines," Cheatle repeated.
"How many minutes went by between the time law enforcement saw and took photos of Crooks and the shooting?" Mace queried.
As Cheatle responded, "I am still verifying," Mace interjected. "57 minutes!"
Lawmakers repeatedly tried to get information about the security breakdown, after Cheatle testified that the Secret Service had been notified "between two and five times" that there was a suspicious person on site before the shooting, but were stonewalled as she stated she had no information and pointed to the ongoing FBI investigation.
Democratic Rep. Shontel Brown of Ohio told Cheatle, "You're not making this easy for us."
As Cheatle expressed condolences to the families of the former president and Corey Comperatore, a former Pennsylvania firefighter who was shot and killed at the Butler campaign rally, saying "I will move heaven and Earth to ensure another incident like July 13 does not happen again," Cheatle continued to reject calls for her resignation.
"Looks like you guys were cutting corners," Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, claimed Monday as he grilled Cheatle during a rapid series of questions about who she spoke to at the White House regarding Secret Service efforts on July 13.
Security for the Republican presidential nominee, she testified, "has been steadily increasing as threats evolve" but claimed it already had been increasing even before the shooting.
The federal agency protects at least 36 individuals on a daily basis as well as visiting world leaders, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who arrived Monday in Washington, Cheatle said.
"Our agency needs to be adequately resourced," she told committee members. However, the Secret Service, she said, "is not political."
Claims were made that the Secret Service had previously denied extra requests for security as multiple federal agencies now are in the middle of their own investigations to see more clearly what security measures failed that day.
The Secret Service, a federal law enforcement agency under the Homeland Security Department, has an annual $3.1 billion budget, Comer pointed out during the hearing.
The AR-15-style weapon used to shoot at Trump was legally purchased by 20-year-old shooter Thomas Crooks' father. Raskin said he believes most American citizens are uncomfortable with how easily accessible that type of weapon is.
Cheatle said the assets that were requested by other agencies tasked with aiding to protect Trump on July 13 "were given" by the Secret Service, but pushed back on claims her agency was not fully prepared for the campaign event on the day of the shooting.
"There were no assets denied for Butler on the 13th," she said. Trump, on his part, has laid praise on the "very brave Secret Service agents" who "rushed to the stage" to protect him and quickly killed the shooter.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., last week in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention said he would call for Cheatle's ouster. He joins a growing list of Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who have called on her to resign.
She also was confronted by Republican senators at the Republican National Convention last week, who recorded and shared video of them calling for her to answer questions about the shooting.
On Saturday, Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., became the first Democrat to call for Cheatle to step down.
"The evidence coming to light has shown unacceptable operational failures," Boyle previously said. "I have no confidence in the leadership of the United States Secret Service if Director Cheatle chooses to remain in her position."
After Monday's hearing, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida joined the chorus of calls for Cheatle to be removed, according to a post on X.
"U.S. Secret Service Director Cheatle should be FIRED IMMEDIATELY," Donalds wrote.
"It's been nine days since Donald Trump survived a horrific assassination attempt and she refuses to answer simple questions from either side of the aisle," he added. "This gross incompetence is disgraceful. America deserves better."
