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A GOP congressman tried to enter the Capitol Building on Thursday with a concealed firearm, HuffPost reports

rep. andy harris
Rep. Andy Harris, of Maryland attempted to bring a firearm into the Capitol just weeks after the Capitol Building siege.

  • GOP Rep. Andy Harris, of Maryland, attempted to carry a concealed weapon into the House Chambers on Thursday, the Huffington Post reported. 
  • Metal detectors placed in the Capitol following the January 6 attack went off when Harris attempted to walk through. 
  • Harris attempted to have another representative hold his weapon before having to leave and come back. 
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Republican Rep. Andy Harris was prevented from entering the House chambers with a gun on Thursday by metal detectors that were put in place following the January 6 Capitol siege, the Huffington Post reported. 

The outlet said they witnessed metal detectors go off when Harris walked through. Then an officer detected a firearm on the congressman’s side when he scanned him with a metal-detecting wand. The firearm was concealed by Harris’s coat. 

A Capitol official later confirmed to HuffPost that Harris had a gun on 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 they witnessed Harris attempt to get Rep. John Katko to hold his firearm as he went in to vote. Katko reportedly told Harris he didn’t have a license and refused to hold the gun. Harris then left and came back 10 minutes later, this time not setting off any alarms and proceeding inside the House chamber, HuffPost reported. 

Congress implemented new safety measures, including installing metal detectors the week after supporters of then-President Donald Trump breached the US Capitol and clashed with law enforcement, halting a joint session of Congress as lawmakers were set to formalize President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. The riot led to the deaths of five people.

Read more: SCOOP: Trump taps his former chief of staff and impeachment lawyers as the gatekeepers to his papers during his post-presidency

Several House Republicans flouted the safety measure, with several refusing to walk through them when they were initially implemented. 

Insider’s Lauren Frias previously reported that GOP freshman Rep. Lauren Boebert was on the radar of DC police after she released an ad saying she would “carry my firearm in DC and in Congress.”

That prompted Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to announce that Congress would fine those who refuse to comply with the new screening protocols $5,000 for the first offense and $10,000 for the second.

 

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