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Since the attack on the Capitol on Jan 6, several new regulations have been put in place by Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the safety and security of lawmakers that work in the building.
The one that has drawn the most ire amongst House Republicans has been the magnetometers installed near the House chamber entrances. Many GOP Reps. continuously flout the metal detectors. Some rush right through without stopping, even if they are set off. Others go out of their way to go around them and even brush off the Capitol police officers when they attempt to do their jobs and check for the cause of the alarms going off.
Keep in mind that these are the same officers that ushered these lawmakers to safety on the day of the attacks, and they are now being ignored or shoed away by some lawmakers.
One of the lawmakers that have repeatedly done this is Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD). According to reporting by HuffPost, Harris set off the metal detectors while trying to enter the chamber on Thursday to vote on a waiver for retired Gen. Lloyd Austin. When an officer scanned him with a wand, a concealed firearm was detected on Harris’s side.
Police refused to let Harris enter. Harris attempted to get Rep. John Katko (R-NY) to hold the weapon so he could go vote, but Katko refused. Harris left the area and returned 10 minutes later. He passed through the magnetometer without a problem and was allowed on the house floor.
Pelosi has proposed fining members who bypass the screenings $5,000 the first time and $10,000 for subsequent offenses.
Those rules are not yet adopted, and members continue to flout the rules.
