The Secret Service budget has swelled to more than $3 billion. Here's where the money goes.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Monday faced blistering criticism as she directly addressed lawmakers' questions for the first time about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump earlier this month. A key concern in wake of the shooting: How did a federal agency whose annual budget has swelled to $3 billion fail to stop an amateur assailant like Thomas Matthew Crooks? 

While Cheatle didn't provide an answer at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing, the question points to the Secret Service's funding and staffing, which as of the 2023 fiscal year has jumped 27% from about $2.34 billion in 2014 on an inflation-adjusted basis, according to an analysis of budget data from the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank.

On Tuesday, Cheatle resigned from her position after facing pressure during the House Oversight hearing from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to step down due to the agency's failure to stop the assassination attempt.