The White House is facing a possible probe after President Joe Biden’s dog has bitten some officers with the U.S. Secret Service as well as staffers at the White House.
Republican Representative Virginia Foxx from North Carolina, who serves as the chair of the Education and the Workforce Committee, has asked the Biden administration to provide information regarding workplace safety there after there have been multiple reports made about Biden’s dog, Commander, biting people.
In a letter that Foxx sent to Julie Su, the acting secretary of labor, as well as Biden, she wrote:
“The White House has the responsibility to set an example for ensuring workplace safety and health for its employees. Unfortunately, it has recently come to our attention that it is failing to uphold this responsibility.”
She added that the recent reports of “White House staff and U.S. Secret Service personnel regularly incurring dog bites indicate that occupational hazards are prevalent at the White House.”
Commander is a 2-year-old German shepherd dog who belongs to the Bidens. Last week, he had to be removed from the White House following multiple biting incidents – about a dozen in all.
In late September, the Secret Service confirmed that Commander had been involved in another biting incident. Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, issued a statement after the incident that read:
“Yesterday around 8 p.m., a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer came in contact with a First Family pet and was bitten. The officer was treated by medical personnel on complex.”
That was the 11th biting incident involving Commander – some of which took place at the White House and some of which took place at the president’s Delaware home.
One such biting incident, which happened in November of 2022, left one officer with injuries suffered on his upper right thigh and upper right arm.
This isn’t the first time that the Bidens have had issues with their dogs, either. Back in 2021, their other dog, Major – who was also a German shepherd – was moved out of the White House and sent to life with friends of the Biden family in Delaware following multiple reports of biting incidents.
After Foxx sent her letter this week, her committee issued a press release that said:
“[The letter raises] serious concerns that the White House is not following the law and providing a safe working environment for White House employees.”
As part of her letter, Foxx requested that the Department of Labor and the White House provide information that they have on file “related to workplace accidents and injuries at the White House to ensure the White House is living up to its expectations of the private sector.”
She also asked that the Labor Department check to make sure that the White House is in full compliance with the standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The White House hasn’t commented on the situation to this point.
