The House of Representatives on Tuesday night voted to approve hefty fines for lawmakers who eschew the new security screenings at the entrance of the House chamber that were established in wake of the deadly Capitol insurrection last month.
All Republicans who were present voted against the measure, according to Yahoo News.
Under the new rule, the House sergeant-at-arms will impose a $5,000 fine on those who flout the screenings the first time and a $10,000 fine if they do so again. The fine will be taken out of the offender’s congressional salary if they do not pay it within 90 days.
After the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) issued a statement blasting the Republican lawmakers who flatly refused to walk through the newly installed metal detectors and pushed past the U.S. Capitol Police at the chamber’s entrance.
“It is beyond comprehension why any Member would refuse to adhere to these simple, commonsense steps to keep this body safe,” she said. “It is sad that we have been forced to move forward with a rule change imposing fines on those who refuse to abide by these protections, but the People’s House must and will be safe, so that we can honor our responsibility to do the People’s work.”
Several GOP lawmakers have resisted the new security measures, including far-right Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), who is infamous for her hardline pro-gun stance (and her embrace of the QAnon conspiracy theory).
