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Who ordered the removal of metal detectors in the House today? [1]
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Date: 2023-01-03
The general public has to go through these for access to the US Capitol. After 1/6, the House installed them for access to the House floor. Not anymore since today.
From the diaries on the Speaker vote, I learned that these detectors “have been removed”. Nowhere can I find out who ordered it — I assume that it was a Republican — nor under what authority they did.
It may seem a trivial detail, but think about it. Any random Congressperson does not have the authority to give such an order — it would either be decided by a vote on the House floor, or more likely delegated with a bunch of minor duties to the Speaker and her/his staff. That’s how they were installed in the first place, and after Republicans found out they could not be expelled for cheating, the Democratic majority voted for a fine (I think it was $5000 / infraction).
So what happened? Did Jim Jordan just sidle up to a janitor and said, you know we’re running things now, push these things out of the way for me?
As much as I find that concerning, the principle is even worse. If we let Republicans run things because “everyone knows” that they have the majority, they still can’t pass major legislation — but they can and will sneak in little things like point cameras away when they do not want bad publicity. They will boss around Capitol Police and janitors for things like the metal detectors, perhaps access badges, notices of meetings and votes … and that brings me back to the Speaker vote. Can they influence the House clerk who is running these votes right now, as to scheduling a new vote in the dead of night? Either without telling Democrats at all, or at such short notice that enough Democrats just happen to be absent so that McCarthy sails through?
If I read the Joan McCarter’s and Laura Clawson’s diaries correctly, the House cannot take any action, not even small things like removing metal detectors, without having a Speaker. Ordinary House members have even less authority on their own (see the rebuttal of Jordan’s request of documents from the WH).
Sure I’m paranoid. But as they say, that doesn’t mean they are not out to get you.
Or like that sign in the subway says, “Change My Mind”.
It’s a tricky question what Democrats could do in order to push back or reverse this rulebreaking — but the least, and easiest thing would be to shine a spotlight on it.
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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/3/2145161/-Who-ordered-the-removal-of-metal-detectors-in-the-House-today
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