Metal detectors infuriate lawmakers as some Republicans barge in over new measures



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Members of both parties expressed frustration Tuesday night at the long lines outside the entrance to the House. Many Republicans see the measure as intrusive, but several Democrats have called it necessary as they increasingly view their colleagues across the way as security threats.

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, newly sworn-in Republican who largely ran on a post stressing his commitment to Second Amendment rights and bragging about his desire to carry a gun on Capitol Hill, had an altercation with police officers and initially refused to show police what was there in his bag Tuesday night. She was finally allowed to enter the bedroom.

“It is a shame that Nancy Pelosi is trying to disarm members of Congress in the very place that needed more protection on January 6,” she said in a statement. “It is clear that the metal detectors would not have deterred the acts of violence that we have seen; this political coup does nothing to improve the safety of MPs in the Capitol complex.”

“It’s crap in here. You can put that on the floor,” said Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Biggs, a Republican from Arizona, who called metal detectors “the dumbest thing” while scanning them.

Republican Republican Reps Steve Womack of Arkansas and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma broke into police on Capitol Hill.

“I was physically restrained!” Shouted Womack. “It’s my constitutional right!” cried Mullin.

Illinois Representative Rodney Davis, also a Republican, told Mullin not to yell at Capitol Police.

“It’s not their fault they are doing their job,” Davis said.

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But Davis, a senior Republican on the House administration committee, told CNN he was “pissed off” that magnetometers had risen without any consultation. House Minority Whip Steve Scalise told CNN the situation was “untenable” because it “prevents members from coming to vote. That’s our job.”

Capitol Police eventually waved to several lawmakers without forcing them to go through the magnetometers.

House Democrats, however, told CNN they were concerned about some of their fellow Republicans and that there had been multiple conversations about the need for every member of Congress and their guests to start using metal detectors. Several concerned lawmakers are ignoring House rules on guns.

Referring to Boebert, freshman Rep Madison Cawthorn from North Carolina and others, a House Democrat described to CNN “growing tensions with some new freshmen for months, who insisted on bringing firearms in violation of the law and guidelines. “

“There are concerns about members carrying weapons, but we also don’t know who they’re going to bring to the inauguration who can bypass metal detectors,” said another House Democrat. “Until there is an investigation and until we understand the level of complicity our colleagues have in the attack, we don’t know how much they were really involved. no answers, I don’t think we should trust them – not all of them. of course, but some of them. “

This Democrat noted that some of the House Republicans went to the chamber floor after the attack last week and continued to share debunked plots about the 2020 election. This Democrat added that some refused to wear masks as they took refuge there and at least three Democrats have tested positive for Covid-19.

Some Democrats aren’t happy with metal detectors either.

“I’m more likely to die from Covid because I got it from a coworker than to die because a coworker shoots me,” Texas Rep. Filemon Vela, a Democrat, told CNN.

CNN’s Jake Tapper and Ryan Nobles contributed to this report.



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