Rep. Jeffries: Rapper Jay Z Had Better Security Than Obama

Speaking out against recent Secret Service gaffes, at least one member of Congress is noting that it's a sad day when a global hip-hop artist has better security coverage than the nation's commander in chief, The Hill reported.

U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries invoked the name of rap star Jay Z in a statement Wednesday supporting stronger presidential protection. "We cannot have a situation where Jay Z appears to have a more competent security apparatus than the president of the United States," Jeffries, a first-term 44-year-old Democrat who represents a Brooklyn, N.Y. district noted.

Jeffries' remarks came as as Secret Service Chief Julia Pierson stepped down amid revelations that her agency not only allowed a man to get inside the White House but failed to vet a hired security agent who was inside an elevator with President Obama with a gun, the New York Times reported.

The congressman's remarks were a "shout-out" of sorts to one of his most famous constituents, noted the New York Daily News, describing Jay Z as a "borough icon."

The rap star knows a thing or two about the president — the two are known to text one another — and also about protection, reportedly hiring a security team numbering close to 500 for a world tour with wife, singing star Beyonce, the Hill noted.

Jeffries said moving forward, the Secret Service must do a better job. “The Secret Service needs strong leadership from top to bottom, significant re-training, a firm disciplinary code, technology enhancements and a greater budget allocation. Only then, will the president and the American people get the agency we deserve."

The new interim acting director, Joseph Clancy, appointed in the wake of Pierson's resignation, and who formerly led the president's protection team, will return to duty after retiring in 2011, NBC News reported. He had been working as director of corporate security at Comcast before he accepted the new role.

"I'm very pleased. He is a person the president has utmost confidence in — he will take a bullet for him," Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking Democrat on the House Government Oversight Committee, said in an interview with NBC.

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• Ex-Agent: Pierson 'Lost the Trust' of Secret Service Force