Capitol Police have set up metal detectors off the House floor, the most visible safety measure yet put in place after the Jan. 6 Capitol siege that left five people dead and lawmakers scrambling in hours of chaos.
The metal detectors will be permanent and will be installed at all doors to the House chamber as well as in the entrance of the press gallery, a senior Democratic aide told the Washington Examiner.
“To ensure compliance with the Capitol Police Board regulations concerning firearms and incendiary devices, as well as to provide a safe and secure environment in which to conduct legislative business, effective immediately, all persons, including Members, are required undergo security screening when entering the House Chamber,” the acting sergeant-at-arms, Timothy P. Blodgett, wrote to House members Tuesday. “Magnetometers are being placed at selected entrances to the Chamber. Failure to complete screening or the carrying of prohibited items could result in denial of access to the Chamber.”
Republicans took issue with the new security measure, which was established at the same time House Democratic leadership also announced it would impose fines to any member who did not wear masks on the House floor. House Administration Chairman Rodney Davis, an Illinois Republican, told the Washington Examiner in a statement:
“It is typical that Speaker Pelosi is worried about political correctness and having our brave officers police mask wearers on floor, where there is not a threat to safety and security. It takes valuable resources away from the outside perimeter where there are known threats. My question is: When will the mask wearing and fines end? What metrics/science did she lay out for that? Vaccination?”
Second Amendment Caucus Chairman Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said the metal detectors were useless, telling the Washington Examiner, “The problem wasn’t that we didn’t have enough metal detectors Jan. 6. It was a failure of leadership. And Pelosi bears responsibility for that. The sergeant at arms works for her. The problem isn’t that we didn’t have enough metal detectors. I think it’s ridiculous to start scanning members of Congress.”
“This is sort of the height of hypocrisy for Pelosi to run out of the building with armed guards and then have the rest of us locked in the building for hours with a police force that was not defending the building. That’s the height of hypocrisy,” he added.
Metal detectors are located at all official entrances around the Capitol complex. The public, staff, as well as reporters must go through the scanners and have their belongings x-rayed, but members of Congress are exempt from that process.
