Gun Incident Involving Republican Lawmaker Prompts Police Probe
U.S. Capitol Police on Friday were investigating an incident in which a Republican lawmaker was found carrying a concealed gun while trying to enter the floor of the House of Representatives, a Capitol official said.
Republican Representative Andy Harris, a staunch gun-rights advocate, set off a magnetometer going through security on his way to the House floor late on Thursday and was found to be carrying a firearm, according to a congressional press pool report.
The Maryland Republican then tried to hand the gun off to Republican Representative John Katko, who refused, saying he did not have a license, the report said.
House authorities installed metal detectors outside the chamber to beef up security in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot by former President Donald Trump’s supporters. The assault left five people dead and drove lawmakers into hiding.
Several Republican lawmakers, ardent supporters of gun rights, have loudly complained about the metal detectors and some have ignored them.
Harris and Katko’s offices did not respond to requests for comment. U.S. Capitol Police officials also were not available for comment.
The Capitol official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said lawmakers are allowed to carry guns on Capitol grounds so long as ammunition is kept separate, but firearms are not allowed on the House floor.
In the end, Harris left the Capitol and returned less than 10 minutes later, went through security without setting off the magnetometer and was allowed to enter the House floor, the pool report said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for a rule change mandating fines for members who refuse to follow security protocols – $5,000 for the first offense and $10,000 for the second, to be deducted from lawmakers’ salaries. The House has yet to vote on the proposed change.
(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Howard Goller)
How about a forfeiture of all pay and retirement for sedition and lying to the American people for peelousy? Such a blatant hypocrite!
Why should they be different than us? And we didn’t storm the Capitol building! Helloo!!
We know who did..
An anti-Trump activist who once said he wanted to “rip” the president out of office entered the Capitol Building Wednesday alongside a mob of pro-Trump protesters, but he said he was just there to “document” it.
“There’s this narrative going around right now that Antifa was the people there causing the riots, causing the tension, they were the only people breaking into the Capitol, and I wanted to be able to tell a part of history and show that that was anything but the case,” John Sullivan, the founder of Utah-based Insurgence USA, told Fox News Thursday.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
So, Robert, what would be your explanation of the arrests of Q Shaman, Tam Pham, Jenna Ryan, Samuel Camarzo, Larry Brock, Garret Miller? What is your explanation of their claims their actions were in support of Trump and they were acting at the direction of Trump? WHAT would be your explanation of John Sullivan being kicked out of the BLM movement and DENYING that he was a member of Antifa?
Not Mary again trying to justify the antics of the destructive liberals.
Hello! They are “ different than us” when it comes to carrying firearms into their offices. Walk away from CNN
Mary, in case you haven’t guessed so far, Ijr is the home to a bunch of conspiracy idiots. Facts and the truth mean nothing to them. But WE are the majority.
Domestic terrorism. It’s the Lord’s work.
youtu.be/nMHviQunXBA
Harris’s lame excuse was something about his cowboy boots with metal tips setting it off. What a DA!
He must be thinking that he is a person of privilege or something. He KNOWS what the rules are, but they can’t be made for HIM, right?
Do you know what the rules are??
While the public is prohibited from carrying firearms on Capitol Grounds, Capitol Police spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider told Yahoo News that members of Congress may keep firearms in their office, and may transport them, too — as long as they’re unloaded.
“Members of Congress may maintain firearms within the confines of their office,” Schneider said, “and they and any employee or agent of any member of Congress may transport within the Capitol Grounds firearms unloaded and securely wrapped.”
But according to the same provision, no one “shall carry any firearm inside the chamber or on the floor of either House, in any lobby or cloakroom adjacent thereto, in the galleries of either House or in the Marble Room of the Senate or Rayburn Room of the House unless assigned or approved by the two Sergeants of Arms for maintenance of adequate security.”
Robbie Boy… guns have never been allowed on the floor of the Congress.
Arrogant asshole and total coward.
Just wants protection from antifa….and panicked Capitol Police …
Bullshit, Robert. There is no excuse for anyone attempting to bring a firearm onto the floor.
If he is not willing to obey the laws and rules, he is free to resign and find another job, right, Robert?
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂