Washington, DC – Committee on House Administration Republicans continue to pressure Speaker Pelosi to pay the $5,000 fine for breaking her own security rules, under House Resolution 73, last week. After several members witnessed Speaker Pelosi bypassing security to go onto the House floor, Republicans are asking the House Sergeant at Arms to equally enforce these fines. Additionally, the letter signed by Ranking Member Rodney Davis (R-IL) and committee members, Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) and Congressman Bryan Steil (R-WI), asks the House Sergeant of Arms to provide a detailed explanation of their procedures regarding House Resolution 73. This letter follows a response from the House Sergeant at Arms to the members' initial inquiry into the incident.

"Speaker Pelosi needs to pay the fine for breaking her own security rules and the fines need to be equally enforced by the Sergeant at Arms. As described to us, the process the Sergeant at Arms is using now to determine who is fined is arbitrary and putting our Capitol Police officers in a difficult position. While we remain opposed to the Speaker focusing security internally when the threat is, and has always been, outside the Capitol, the Speaker of the House needs to follow her own rules and the Sergeant at Arms needs to ensure she does," said Ranking Member Davis and committee members, Loudermilk and Steil.

CLICK HERE for a signed copy of the letter below.

The Honorable Timothy P. Blodgett
Acting Sergeant at Arms
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Capitol, Room H124
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Blodgett,

The Honorable Timothy P. Blodgett Acting Sergeant at Arms U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Capitol, Room H124 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Mr. Blodgett: We are writing in response to your letter of February 5th, 2021. House Resolution 73 not only authorizes you but directs you:

"to impose a fine against a Member, Delegate, or the Resident Commissioner for failure to complete security screening for entrance to the House Chamber."

The Speaker of the House failed to complete security screening on February 4th, and closed circuit television footage can provide irrefutable proof that a violation occurred. We believe that you do not have the authority to selectively enforce the fines for failure to complete security screening. Furthermore, House Resolution 73 established a process to appeal fines, that authority is given to the Committee on Ethics, not the Sergeant at Arms.

In your letter, you also reference procedures adopted by your office specific to carrying out your authorities in House Resolution 73. While we agree the resolution gives you some authority in subsection (G), those procedures have not been communicated to the entire House. It is clear the rules do not apply equally to all and they are needlessly putting our U.S. Capitol Police officers in a difficult position. We ask that you please provide a comprehensive explanation of what procedures your office has adopted and why you have chosen these particular procedures.

We look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

Rodney Davis Barry Loudermilk
Ranking Member Member
Committee on House Administration Committee on House Administration

Bryan Steil
Member
Committee on House Administration

cc:
The Honorable Catherine Szpindor
Chief Administrative Officer
U.S. House of Representatives