Last night the Capitol Police erected metal detectors outside of the doors to the House floor inside the U.S. Capitol building. Many Republican lawmakers objected to going through them.
GOP TX Rep Chip Roy: “The metal detector policy for the House floor is unnecessary, unconstitutional, and endangers members. I did not comply tonight. I will not comply in the future.”
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 13, 2021
Congressman Roy further discussed his position during an interview with Fox News Wednesday morning, blasting the new policy for making lawmakers vulnerable while wasting Capitol Hill Police resources.
"What we have right now is out Capitol Hill police personnel, who are extraordinary, and I thank them so much for their service. I come from a family of law enforcement and I go around and I thank each and every one of them when I see them around the Capitol complex. But when they stand in the doors, they're being asked to focus their responsibility to look at members of Congress and we're supposed to exercise our constitutional duty to go vote on the floor of the House of Representatives and we're wasting resources and time by drawing their attention to members of Congress at the entrances to the House floor. That is waste a waste of resources. That endangers lives," Roy said.
"It also puts on the floor of the House as sitting ducks. As we were last week. Sending a signal to the world that we are unarmed at the we are sitting on the House floor without the ability to protect ourselves. That is what this new metal detector policy does," he continued, calling the measure unconstitutional. "I will object and continue to object to it. That is in no way, shape or form, contrary to my support for Capitol Hill Police who are doing their job. This is a policy that is the wrong policy put in place by the Sergeant at Arms."
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