Republican lawmakers are livid about new metal detectors installed outside the House chamber since last Wednesday’s Capitol insurrection by a violent pro-Trump mob. Many are upset because they choose to carry guns to the House floor.
Among those reportedly objecting are Rep. Steve Scalise who said they were”designed to impede lawmakers from voting” and Rep. Rodney Davis who told the AP “valuable resources” had been used to install them.
CNN reports: “Reps. Markwayne Mullin and Steve Womack erupted at Capitol Police as they were forced to go through, with Womack shouting, ‘I was physically restrained,’ and Mullin saying, ‘It’s my constitutional right’ and ‘they cannot stop me.'”
The AP adds: “Several lawmakers simply walked around the devices. Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert said, ‘You can’t stop me. I’m on my way to a vote.’ Freshman Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who has announced her intention to carry a gun on Capitol grounds, set off a metal detector. It wasn’t clear if she had a cellphone or other metal object in her purse. She refused to allow a search of her bag and eventually was let into the House chamber.”
