Pelosi To Fine Lawmakers up To $10,000 if They Bypass Metal Detectors To House Floor

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Wednesday that lawmakers would face a hefty fine for refusing to go through newly installed metal detectors to the House chamber as soon as next week.

Pelosi said this new rule on metal detectors would be adopted in the House once it returns to session on January 21 to step up security in the chamber, reported The Hill.

Lawmakers who dodge the House metal detectors will be fined $5,000 on their first offense and $10,000 on their second. Each fine would be deducted from the lawmakers' salaries.

House Republicans Scoffed at Metal Detectors

Multiple House Republicans were not pleased with the metal detectors and scoffed at the safety precaution, said a report from Forbes.

GOP members were seen berating the police officers on Tuesday and Wednesday after being asked to pass through the metal detectors.

Several GOP members also defiantly pushed past police officers and sergeant-at-arms staff into the chamber without going through the devices.

All these refusals happened after stricter security measures were implemented in the Capitol following last week's riot by violent protesters who stormed the building to prevent President-elect Joe Biden certification's electoral votes, reported Newsweek.

In a statement, Pelosi expressed gratitude to the Capitol Police for their "valor that they showed during the deadly insurrection."

Pelosi also expressed sadness for how "many House Republicans have disrespected our heroes by verbally abusing them and refusing to adhere to basic precautions."

Some of the GOP lawmakers who defied the rule included Texas Reps. Louis Gohmert and Van Taylor, Ohio Rep. Steve Stivers, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, Arizona Rep. Debbie Lesko, and Oklahoma Rep. Markwayne Mullin.

Boebert also set off the metal detector for carrying a gun to the Capitol. Reporters saw her declining to turn over her bag to the police for inspection.

Another lawmaker seen refusing to the metal detectors was Rep. Steve Womack, who shouted at the police to "get back" and "don't touch me."

But the most aggressive member for HuffPost reporter Matt Fuller was Rep. Russ Fulscher.

As Fuller described the scene, a female officer got in Fulscher's way when the lawmaker became "assertive," which pushed the cop to appear as if she was "on the verge of tears after."

House GOP Member Argues That Pelosi Order Violates 27th Amendment

Typically, Congress members would not be subject to stringent security protocols in the Capitol complex as long as they showed their lawmaker pins.

But in light of the recent riot, House Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy Blodgett wrote in a memo to lawmakers and staff about the safety precautions.

The memo said all people conducting business in the Capitol, including lawmakers, have to be subjected to a security screening before entering the House chamber.

GOP Rep. Thomas Massie was also against the fines and argued that it violated the Constitution's 27th Amendment, stating: "No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened."

However, Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee, which funds the Capitol Police, said Pelosi was being "very, very concerned, as she should be."

He also believes that Pelosi has been acting appropriately in having the fines in place.