Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from three Republican congressmen who were fined for bypassing security measures at the Capitol. The fines, totaling $5,000 each, were imposed after the lawmakers avoided metal detectors installed following the January 6th attack on the Capitol.
This decision by the Supreme Court follows a pattern set in previous cases involving members of Congress fined for violating security protocols. The justices previously rejected the case of other GOP members who had their pay docked in 2021 for refusing to comply with a mask mandate on the House floor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this recent case, Reps. Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Lloyd Smucker of Pennsylvania, and former Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas sought the Court’s intervention to challenge the fines they received for ignoring the newly installed magnetometers outside the House chamber. These security measures were implemented in response to the violent attempt to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s election.
The scanners, which were subject to controversy and passed by a narrow margin in the House, were defended by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi as essential for the safety of the legislative body. The issue of compliance with the security measures resurfaced when Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland was turned away from the chamber for carrying a concealed handgun just two weeks after the Capitol attack.
The three lawmakers, Clyde, Smucker, and Gohmert, refused to pay their fines after an unsuccessful appeal to the House ethics committee. As a result, $5,000 was deducted from each of their salaries, which are based on a yearly base amount of $174,000.
Following their refusal to pay the fines, the lawmakers filed a lawsuit against the House sergeant at arms and the body’s chief administrator, arguing that their pay alterations violated the Constitution’s 27th Amendment. They claimed that the security measures and the revised payroll fell outside the scope of Congress’s legislative functions and should be subject to judicial review.
While the federal appeals panel, similar to the masking case involving Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans, asserted that the judiciary lacked oversight of Congress. The Supreme Court’s decision on Monday reaffirmed this ruling by refusing to take up the case involving the metal detectors.
Despite the removal of the metal detectors in 2023 when Republicans gained the House majority, debates surrounding security measures persisted. In a meeting of the House Natural Resources Committee in February 2023, tensions rose over the reinstatement of a rule prohibiting guns in the committee room. Members, such as Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, expressed concerns about safety and harassment within the Capitol complex, prompting discussions on security protocols.
As the issue of congressional security continues to evolve, questions remain about the balance between safety measures and lawmakers’ freedom of movement within the Capitol. The ongoing debate highlights the challenges of maintaining security while upholding the traditions and functions of the legislative branch.