The Capitol Police say they have investigated nearly 1,000 threats directed against lawmakers this year, surpassing the 900 they looked into for all of 2016.

The Hill:

Irving provided the statistics as part of a request that the FEC issue guidance that would allow lawmakers to use campaign funds to pay for security systems in their homes.

The FEC has issued a handful of rulings on a case-by-case basis allowing members of Congress to use campaign money for home security, such as for former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot in the head at a constituent event in 2011.

But House leaders have been reviewing how to give lawmakers more resources for their personal security in the wake of a shooting at the GOP baseball practice earlier this month.The U.S. Capitol Police has investigated close to 1,000 threats directed at lawmakers in the first half of this year, a top House official said in a letter made public Friday.

Paul Irving, the House sergeant at arms, stated that the Capitol Police looked into about 950 threatening messages aimed at members of the House “because of their profile as elected representatives or members of Congress.”

That’s already more than the approximately 902 threatening messages investigated by the Capitol Police in all of 2016.

The increased number “constitutes the new daily threat environment faced by Member[s] of Congress,” Irving wrote in a letter dated June 21 to Federal Election Commission Chairman Steven Walther.

Irving provided the statistics as part of a request that the FEC issue guidance that would allow lawmakers to use campaign funds to pay for security systems in their homes.

The FEC has issued a handful of rulings on a case-by-case basis allowing members of Congress to use campaign money for home security, such as for former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was shot in the head at a constituent event in 2011.

But House leaders have been reviewing how to give lawmakers more resources for their personal security in the wake of a shooting at the GOP baseball practice earlier this month.

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) presented the idea to lawmakers last week that the FEC could issue a blanket guidance allowing lawmakers to use campaign funds for their personal security measures.

Irving's letter formally made the request.

“It is my position that Members of the U.S. House of Representatives require a residential security system due to the threat environment,” Irving wrote.

Some lawmakers are worried that the extra security will interfere with their ability to communicate with their constituents. But anyone who has seen the threatening atmosphere most Republican lawmakers have faced at town hall meetings can understand why the extra security is needed. 

Unhinged Democratic rhetoric with its apocalyptic references to Trump as the font of all evil breeds the kind of threats being faced by Republicans. It has also generated an unhinged response from some in the Republican base who are looking for tit for tat when it comes to threats of violence. 

Democrats may believe that once they get rid of Trump, the violent rhetoric will stop. They are deluding themselves. They have let loose the demons and sending them back to hell is not going to be easy.