Two House GOP members are fined for security breach

Two Republican lawmakers are the first members of Congress to be fined for violating the new security measures off of the House floor since the fines were instated earlier last week, CNN reported.

Republicans Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Louie Gohmert of Texas both have been fined $5,000 for not following the new security protocols. The fines, which are meant to punish members who fail to complete security screenings before entering the House floor, will be deducted from members’ salaries by the chief administrative officer, according to the new rule passed Tuesday.

A second offense will result in a $10,000 fine.

Clyde reportedly refused to go through the metal detectors as he entered the House floor, and Gohmert left the House floor to go to the bathroom and did not stop to be screened a second time.

Gohmert said he left the House floor Thursday night.

“I went through the metal detector perfectly properly. And as I’ve done for weeks ever since the metal detectors have been here, I was about to speak so I came to the restroom, and I’ve never been wanded or anything because they can see you go in and see you come out. And they said, because I didn’t stop and get wanded, I went and spoke. They made it sound like I avoided the metal detectors,” Gohmert said.

“I’ve been abiding by those completely. And so all of a sudden, somebody made an arbitrary and capricious decision to all of a sudden start wanding when they saw you go to the restroom.”