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U.S. Capitol officials are seen removing metal detectors from in front of the House chamber on January 3, 2023.
One reporter called the step "the first sign of the new GOP majority."
As Republicans on Tuesday prepared to formally assume the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and vote on the next speaker amid growing party turmoil, video footage posted to social media showed officials removing metal detectors that were put in place following the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
Just after noon, Rep. Ayanna Pressley's (D-Mass.) chief of staff posted a short clip showing workers carrying a metal detector into a Capitol elevator.
CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju called the move "the first sign of the new GOP majority."
The metal detectors, put in place just outside of the House chamber as an extra security measure amid concerns about Republicans' ties to the January 6 attackers, were vocally opposed by GOP lawmakers, some of whom made a show of dodging them.
"Guns and other weapons were already banned from the chamber," The Washington Post noted Tuesday. "Some Democrats were already anxious about the potential for guns on the House floor after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) campaigned promising to remain armed as she worked on Capitol Hill. And former congressman Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) told a local paper after the attack that he had been armed when protesters stormed the Capitol."
In a video posted to Twitter, Boebert celebrated the removal of the magnetometers:
The removal of the metal detectors came shortly before Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) failed to win a majority of House votes on the first ballot for speaker as 19 GOP members opposed him, sending the voting to a second round.
In a rules package unveiled earlier this week, House Republicans propose eliminating "fines for failure of members to comply" with security screenings before reaching the chamber floor.
House members have yet to vote on the proposed rules.
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
As Republicans on Tuesday prepared to formally assume the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and vote on the next speaker amid growing party turmoil, video footage posted to social media showed officials removing metal detectors that were put in place following the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
Just after noon, Rep. Ayanna Pressley's (D-Mass.) chief of staff posted a short clip showing workers carrying a metal detector into a Capitol elevator.
CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju called the move "the first sign of the new GOP majority."
The metal detectors, put in place just outside of the House chamber as an extra security measure amid concerns about Republicans' ties to the January 6 attackers, were vocally opposed by GOP lawmakers, some of whom made a show of dodging them.
"Guns and other weapons were already banned from the chamber," The Washington Post noted Tuesday. "Some Democrats were already anxious about the potential for guns on the House floor after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) campaigned promising to remain armed as she worked on Capitol Hill. And former congressman Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) told a local paper after the attack that he had been armed when protesters stormed the Capitol."
In a video posted to Twitter, Boebert celebrated the removal of the magnetometers:
The removal of the metal detectors came shortly before Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) failed to win a majority of House votes on the first ballot for speaker as 19 GOP members opposed him, sending the voting to a second round.
In a rules package unveiled earlier this week, House Republicans propose eliminating "fines for failure of members to comply" with security screenings before reaching the chamber floor.
House members have yet to vote on the proposed rules.
As Republicans on Tuesday prepared to formally assume the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and vote on the next speaker amid growing party turmoil, video footage posted to social media showed officials removing metal detectors that were put in place following the January 6, 2021 insurrection.
Just after noon, Rep. Ayanna Pressley's (D-Mass.) chief of staff posted a short clip showing workers carrying a metal detector into a Capitol elevator.
CNN congressional reporter Manu Raju called the move "the first sign of the new GOP majority."
The metal detectors, put in place just outside of the House chamber as an extra security measure amid concerns about Republicans' ties to the January 6 attackers, were vocally opposed by GOP lawmakers, some of whom made a show of dodging them.
"Guns and other weapons were already banned from the chamber," The Washington Post noted Tuesday. "Some Democrats were already anxious about the potential for guns on the House floor after Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) campaigned promising to remain armed as she worked on Capitol Hill. And former congressman Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) told a local paper after the attack that he had been armed when protesters stormed the Capitol."
In a video posted to Twitter, Boebert celebrated the removal of the magnetometers:
The removal of the metal detectors came shortly before Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) failed to win a majority of House votes on the first ballot for speaker as 19 GOP members opposed him, sending the voting to a second round.
In a rules package unveiled earlier this week, House Republicans propose eliminating "fines for failure of members to comply" with security screenings before reaching the chamber floor.
House members have yet to vote on the proposed rules.