Earlier this year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) threatened to fine Republicans lawmakers for avoiding metal detectors in the Capitol.
Now, she is in hot water for the same offense.
A group of Republicans in the House of Representatives are crying foul this week, saying video evidence shows the Speaker skirted metal detectors in the Capitol.
In January, Pelosi called out Republicans for avoiding metal detectors and threatened to take the $5,000 fines out of their paychecks.
Several members have reportedly already been fined.
“Sadly, just days later, many House Republicans have disrespected our heroes by verbally abusing them and refusing to adhere to basic precautions keeping members of our Congressional community, including the Capitol Police, safe,” Pelosi said at the time.
Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and committee members Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.) and Congressman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), have publicly called for Pelosi to pay a $5,000 fine for the violation.
“After several members witnessed Speaker Pelosi bypassing security to go onto the House floor, Republicans are asking the House Sergeant at Arms to equally enforce these fines,” the committee said.
The Republican lawmakers even sent a letter to the Sergeant at Arms calling for an enforcement of the House rules.
“The Speaker of the House failed to complete security screening on February 4th, and closed circuit television footage can provide irrefutable proof that a violation occurred,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “We believe that you do not have the authority to selectively enforce the fines for failure to complete security screening.”
Whether Pelosi will be forced to pay the fine remains to be seen.
“Speaker Pelosi needs to pay the fine for breaking her own security rules and the fines need to be equally enforced by the Sergeant at Arms,” the Republicans on the committee said in a statement. “As described to us, the process the Sergeant at Arms is using now to determine who is fined is arbitrary and putting our Capitol Police officers in a difficult position. While we remain opposed to the Speaker focusing security internally when the threat is, and has always been, outside the Capitol, the Speaker of the House needs to follow her own rules and the Sergeant at Arms needs to ensure she does.”
