Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday that starting next week, lawmakers will face hefty fines if they refuse to go through newly installed metal detectors to enter the House chamber.
Pelosi said that the House will adopt new rules when it returns to session on Jan. 21 to mandate stiff fines for bypassing security: $5,000 for the first offense and $10,000 for the second. The fines will be deducted from lawmakers’ salaries.
“It is tragic that this step is necessary, but the chamber of the People’s House must and will be safe,” Pelosi said in a statement.
The incoming fines for refusing to comply with new security measures come after numerous House Republicans berated Capitol Police officers on Tuesday and Wednesday for asking them to go through the metal detectors.
Several GOP lawmakers defiantly pushed past Capitol Police and sergeant-at-arms staff to go into the chamber without going through the magnetometers.
It’s also the second time in as many days that House Democratic leaders have imposed fines to force Republicans to comply with rules meant to ensure the safety of people in the chamber.
House Democrats adopted new rules on Tuesday night to mandate fines for lawmakers who fail to follow rules requiring masks on the House floor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Failure to wear a mask will result in a $500 fine on the first offense and $2,500 for a repeat offense.
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