Politics

Republicans Want To Ban Unauthorized House Video

REUTERS/ U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark/Handout - RTX2HMWK

David Krayden Ottawa Bureau Chief
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Angry about this year’s Democratic gun control sit-in, House Republicans are fighting back — they want members cited, fined and referred to the Ethics Committee for bringing camera devices into the chamber and have brought forth a new rule to punish offenders, according to a document obtained by Fox News.

According to Fox News, the document containing the proposed penalties has an incremental penalty for violating the new proposed rule. House Republicans want to fine offenders $500 for the first offense and $2,500 thereafter for additional offenses.

“Any subsequent offense will be assessed at the higher amount, regardless of whether it is connected to any other offense by time or proximity,” part of the proposal reads.

The Democratic sit-in last June was condemned by Republicans as a form of guerilla theater and featured a spectacle of Democratic representatives pleading for tougher guns laws that would have included more comprehensive background checks and prohibition of sales to anyone on the government’s no-fly list. That protest lasted for 24 hours and occurred in the wake of the mass murder Orlando shooting.

House proceedings are taped by mounted cameras when the House is sitting. However, the Democratic sit-in occurred while the House was in recess so protesting members brought their personal recording devices, such as iPhones, with them to broadcast events live.

Republicans don’t want that to happen again.

“These changes will help ensure that order and decorum are preserved in the House of Representatives so lawmakers can do the people’s work,” said AshLee Strong on Monday, a spokeswoman for House Speaker and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan.

Ryan did nothing to impede the last sit-in, arguing that it would only aggravate matters further.

California Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell claimed he was prepared to go “all the way to bankruptcy” to continue gun-control sit-ins.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has previously commented on potential Republican action to prevent future sit-ins.

“Bring it on,” she said.

When the new Congress meets again in January, the proposed changes will be considered at that time.

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