On Tuesday, Republican lawmakers who’d had their lives put in danger by marauding Trump supporters found something that made them hopping mad: The Capitol had installed metal detectors, in reaction to the violent attempted coup that left five dead. They were livid. They complained on social media. They gave security a hard time. At least one even evaded them entirely. But now if they try and bypass the checkpoint, they won’t just be mocked online. They’ll be fined as well.
As per The Hill, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi announced that any lawmaker who thinks they’re too cool to be scanned for weapons will have to pay $5,000. And that’s only for the first offense: If they do it again, the fine goes up to $10,000. That cash will be deducted from their salaries as congresspeople.
Among the Republican lawmakers — and they were all Republicans — who threw hissy fits over the metal detectors include new fish Lauren Boebert, Representative of Colorado, who is so pro-gun she’s tweeted out videos bragging about how she was going to take her weapon onto the floor of the House. When she tried to do that on Tuesday, she got into a stand-off with security. Boebert and others, among them the tooth-resistant Louie Gohmert, were roundly belittled on social media for complaining about the kind of security measures seen at even Disney World.
On top of establishing fines for politicians refusing to let officers check if they’re packing, House Democrats also recently mandated fines for those refusing to wear masks inside. That one packs $500 for the first fine then jumps all the way to $2,500 for each subsequent offense. So they’re probably not happy about that one either.
(Via The Hill)