John Garamendi: House Democrat says lawmakers bringing guns to Capitol Hill would be ‘a danger to other members’

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Asked by CNN’s Brooke Baldwin whether, regarding members trying to bring weapons into the Capitol, he thought a fellow congressman might hurt him, the California Democrat replied, “Of course.”

“Why would you want to bring a gun to the ground?” Want to get into a punch or do you want to get into a shootout? he said. “You don’t have to have a gun on the floor of the House or even in one of the Capitol complexes or in the offices. It’s a very, very secure place.”

When asked if he was worried that an armed Republican might shoot him, Garamendi replied, “I would – yes, I’m afraid any member who brings a gun to Capitol Hill, to a courtroom, to office buildings or in or on the floor of the House pose a danger, a danger to me and a danger to other members of Congress and staff. You don’t need to have weapons anywhere in this complex. ”

Garamendi’s comments come after some House Republican freshmen insisted on bringing guns to Capitol Hill, sparking concern from several Democrats in the chamber.

One, Representative Lauren Boebert, was filmed in a swearing ad campaign to carry her Glock handgun around Capitol Hill and the Colorado Republican said she would carry her gun to Congress. The district has strict gun laws and the Washington Police Chief has warned the MP she is subject to the same laws as everyone else in the nation’s capital.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, meanwhile, said in an interview with Smoky Mountain News last week that he was armed when a mob stormed the Capitol.

“Luckily I was armed so we could have protected ourselves,” the North Carolina Republican told the newspaper.
Garamendi is not the only one to voice his concerns. Fellow Democrat Don Beyer of Virginia told NBC News in an interview released Thursday: “There is a general feeling that if some of them have guns – and probably those who are more into conspiracy theories and QAnon with the satanic pedophile rings – – are we safe from them? “

Metal detectors were set up outside the House’s floor on Tuesday and members are required to pass through them to reach the chamber.

“There have been growing tensions with some new freshmen for months, who have insisted on bringing guns in violation of the law and guidelines,” a House Democrat said in a reference to Boebert , Cawthorn and others.

“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 of our colleagues in the attack, we don’t know how much they were really involved. have no answers, I don’t think we should trust them – not all of them, of course, but some of them. “

Several Republicans were furious at the new measures this week and some shouted at police officers on Capitol Hill who were on the metal detectors. Boebert set off the metal detectors and initially refused to show police what was in his bag before finally being allowed into the bedroom.

The House will move forward soon with a rule change proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, imposing hefty fines on MPs who refuse to follow the new safety rules. The fine – $ 5,000 for the first offense and $ 10,000 for the second offense – will be deducted directly from members’ salaries by the head of administration.

Garamendi suggested on Friday that in addition to fines for having a gun on the floor of the House, “I would say that’s also a potential reason for being totally kicked out of Congress.”

According to the United States Capitol Police website, firearms are prohibited on Capitol grounds, even if someone has a Washington, DC or state transportation permit. Law enforcement officers who perform their official duties and meet “certain established criteria” may be permitted to carry their weapons on Capitol Hill. The Washington Post reported in 2018 that firearms are banned in legislative chambers except for their sergeants-at-arms.

CNN’s Jake Tapper, Daniella Diaz, Manu Raju and Chandelis Duster contributed to this report.



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