To make a point about the Obama administration’s stance on a fence across the southern border, one Republican lawmaker jokingly suggested in a congressional hearing Wednesday that the president should remove the fence protecting the White House.
Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert made the comments during a House Judiciary Hearing Wednesday with Joseph Clancy, the acting director of the U.S. Secret Service. As lawmakers questioned the acting director about the recent fence jumpers at the White House, Gohmert connected the problem to border issues.
Gohmert told Clancy that if Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano thinks building a fence on the border is “worthless,” than it would be consistent for the administration to be against a White House fence too.
“I would think if the administration is going to be consistent,” Gohmert said, “it’s now time to remove the fence from around the White House. Because if it isn’t good enough for our border, it should not be good enough for the White House.”
Making clear he wasn’t being completely serious, Gohmert told the director: “I would ask you to consider that consistency and also consider the fact that maybe there really is some real virtue in having a fence that slows people down.”
Here is a transcript of the exchange:
Rep. Gohmert: “Has there been any thought to just eliminating the fence around the White House? Has Secretary Napolitano ever talked about that, maybe having a virtual fence, or electronic fences? Has that been discussed at all?
Joseph Clancy: “Sir, I’m not aware of any discussions in that regard.”
Gohmert: “Would you be in favor of removing the fence around the White House and having a virtual or electronic fence around it?”
Clancy: “Sir, my knee-jerk reaction that would be, no sir. Partly because of the number of tourists that come on Pennsylvania Avenue and come right up to that area and, you know, take pictures and whatnot.”
Gohmert: “Well you know the secretary has said, Secretary Napolitano, the fence was worthless. ‘You put a 10 foot fence up, somebody’s going to build a 12 foot ladder.’ So I would think if the administration is going to be consistent, it’s now time to remove the fence from around the White House. Because if it isn’t good enough for our border, it should not be good enough for the White House. So I would ask you to consider that consistency and also consider the fact that maybe there really is some real virtue in having a fence that slows people down.”
Here’s the video: