- Republican Congressman Andy Harris of Maryland tried to carry a hidden weapon in the House of Representatives on Thursday, the Huffington Post reported.
- Metal detectors placed on Capitol Hill after the January 6 attack went off when Harris tried to pass.
- Harris tried to get another representative to hold his gun before he had to leave and return.
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Republican MP Andy Harris was prevented from entering the House chambers with a gun on Thursday by metal detectors installed after the January 6 siege of the Capitol, the Huffington Post reported.
The outlet said they witnessed metal detectors going off when Harris entered. Then an officer detected a firearm on the congressman’s side when he examined it with a metal detection wand. The firearm was hidden by Harris’s coat.
A Capitol officer later confirmed to HuffPost that Harris had a gun with him. Capitol Police did not respond to Insider’s request for comment at the time of publication.
Harris could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
HuffPost added that it witnessed Harris’ attempt to get Rep. John Katko to hold his gun while he went to vote. Katko reportedly told Harris that he had no license and refused to hold the gun. Harris then left and returned 10 minutes later, this time without setting an alarm and proceeding inside the Chamber of Deputies, HuffPost reported.
Congress implemented new security measures, including the installation of metal detectors a week after supporters of then President Donald Trump violated the United States Capitol and clashed with the police, interrupting a joint session of Congress while lawmakers were supposed to formalize the victory for President Joe Biden in the 2020 elections. The riot killed five people.
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Several House Republicans flouted the security measure, with several refusing to ignore them when they were first implemented.
Insider’s Lauren Frias previously reported that the Republican freshman, Rep. Lauren Boebert, was on DC police radar after she released an ad saying “I would carry my firearm in DC and in Congress.”
This prompted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to announce that Congress would fine those who refused to comply with the new screening protocols $ 5,000 for the first offense and $ 10,000 for the second.