Marjorie Taylor Greene: Banning guns from the House floor is the 'real' voter suppression

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on Tuesday said forcing members to go through metal detectors to keep guns off the House floor is the “real” voter suppression.

Greene made the comments during debate on H.R.1, a pro-democracy bill brought by Democrats that seeks to cut down on voter suppression and long lines at the polls by mandating early voting periods for federal elections, as well as allowing all voters to cast absentee ballots if they wish, among other provisions to expand voting rights.

“While we are talking about voter suppression and long lines, I’d like to point out that there is real voter suppression that happens right here in Congress,” Greene said. “Many Members of Congress have to stand in long lines to enter the chamber going through metal detectors, emptying our pockets, and being treated very disrespectfully. So that is real voter suppression and it’s a shame it happens right here on the House floor.”

Metal detectors were placed outside the House chamber after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as part of new security measures.

The machines are meant to help Capitol Police ensure no lawmakers are bringing guns onto the House floor, as they are prohibited.

GOP lawmakers like Greene were up in arms after the magnetometers were installed, ignoring requests from Capitol Police to walk through the security devices before casting votes on the House floor.

So many Republican members refused to use the metal detectors that the House voted to implement hefty fines for those who do not comply. Lawmakers who refuse to go through the magnetometers are fined $5,000 for their first offense, and then $10,000 for every subsequent offense.

Since the metal detectors were installed, one member of Congress — Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) — was found to have tried to bring a gun on the House floor.

Meanwhile, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) — who said she was going to carry her gun through the Capitol in a viral ad — also refused to allow Capitol Police to look through her bag after she set off the metal detector.

As for Greene’s point about voter suppression, passing through metal detectors has not prevented members of Congress from voting.

But long lines at the polls do disenfranchise average voters, who have other jobs and responsibilities, and often cannot wait in long lines to cast a ballot. Long lines have been found to impact minority voters more than white voters.

H.R.1, the bill Greene is railing against, seeks to prevent such disenfranchisement by making it easier to vote. The bill also includes a slew of other pro-democracy measures, including those seeking to limit the influence of money in politics and prevent foreign persons from interfering in American elections.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.