Pelosi Imposes $5,000 Fine on Lawmakers Who Bypass Metal Detectors

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) (C) arrives to sign an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 13, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed a rule change that would impose on lawmakers who refuse to go through newly installed metal detectors at the Capitol a $5,000 fine deducted directly from their paychecks.

“On behalf of the House, I express my deepest gratitude to the U.S. Capitol Police for the valor that they showed during the deadly insurrection on the Capitol, as they protected the lives of the staff and the Congress,” Pelosi said in a Jan. 13 statement.

“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. The House will soon move forward with a rule change imposing fines on those who refuse to abide by these protections. The fine for the first offense will be $5,000 and $10,000 for the second offense. The fines will be deducted directly from Members’ salaries by the Chief Administrative Officer.”

The House will vote on the rule change when it returns to session on Jan. 21.

Pelosi’s announcement comes after metal detectors were set up outside the House chamber following last week’s breach of the Capitol. Some Republican lawmakers have expressed their displeasure about the new protocol and have been bypassing the metal detectors entirely or walking through and not stopping when they set them off.

Pelosi had imposed fines earlier for lawmakers who fail to wear face masks. Failure to wear a mask will result in a $500 fine on the first offense and a $2,500 for a second offense. The fines will be deducted directly from the lawmakers’ paychecks.

House Democrats unanimously voted to impeach President Donald Trump on Jan. 13, alleging that he incited an insurrection in a speech he gave to a large crowd in Washington on Jan. 6. In the speech, the president urged supporters to cheer for senators and to conduct themselves in a patriotic and peaceful matter. The Democrats seized an out-of-context quote from a portion of his speech in relation to his legal battle challenging the election outcome in several states.

Ten Republicans and all 222 Democrats voted in favor of impeachment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.