Op-Ed: I’m Not Joking – Here’s What Happened When a GOP Senator Tried to Give Truckers a Tour of the Capitol
Millions of people visit the U.S. Capitol annually. Some come as sightseers. Others come to participate in or watch a session or hearing. Others come to visit their representative or senator. It is our right as citizens…
Millions of people visit the U.S. Capitol annually. Some come as sightseers. Others come to participate in or watch a session or hearing. Others come to visit their representative or senator.
It is our right as citizens of the United States to meet with our elected officials. It is part of the First Amendment, which reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
So why is it that when Republican Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas gave a group of law-abiding citizens a tour of the Capitol, a Capitol Hill aide alerted the Justice Department?
It was because those citizens were part of the People’s Convoy, a group of truckers protesting the coronavirus mandates that have hindered businesses and infringed on personal rights. According to Politico, “a senior congressional aide alerted the Department of Justice about the truckers’ presence out of concern that the guided tour could help the protesters plan an entry into the building.”
These truckers did not misbehave while in the Capitol, nor were they suspected of breaking the law. They are citizens who have been trying to meet with elected officials to present their viewpoints on an important issue.