In Congress, new fears and new protections in wake of baseball team shooting

Yet Yoder acknowledged that rising threats and political acrimony have left lawmakers and their families on edge and wanting to do more to protect themselves.

In a sign of that reality, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was spotted last week and again on Monday walking around the Capitol with three U.S. Capitol Police officers wearing suits and ties. Aides confirmed that the senator’s security detail began last week but declined to say why. Capitol Police also declined to comment.

“There are a number of members who’ve had very specific threats that scare them or their spouses or their staffers,” said Yoder, who is a member of the GOP baseball team but wasn’t at practice on June 14, the day of the shooting. “I’ve heard of members with staff who are too scared to come to work. So, this is for the safety of the members, and their families and constituents that come to events.”