Antigay, anti-mask Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas has just been slapped with a $5000 fine after he bypassed security to enter the House chamber.
The Washington Post reports that both he and Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia will have $5,000 deducted from their salaries under a new rule announced by Nancy Pelosi that states representatives must pass through a metal detector before entering the House chamber.
Related: Anti-gay lawmaker Louie Gohmert says he caught COVID-19…by wearing a mask
The rule, which went into effect on February 2, was put in place in response to the January 6 insurrection.
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“It is tragic that this step is necessary, but the chamber of the People’s House must and will be safe,” Pelosi stated, adding that anyone found in violation of the rule would be fined $5,000 for their first offense, and $10,000 for each subsequent one.
Fines are deducted from House members’ $174,000 salaries and cannot be paid with campaign funds or from their House office budget.
Naturally, Gohmert, who once said proposed banishing gay people to outer space, is not too happy about having money deducted from his paycheck, saying the rule is part of a “never ending scheme” by Democrats to “demonize and punish their political opponents.”
Unlike in The Godfather, there are no toilets with tanks where one could hide a gun in the restroom in the Speaker's Lobby off the floor. Re-entry onto the floor, where there is no magnetometer, should have been a non-issue. It has always been until Thurs. https://t.co/TNWr9VUl62
— Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) February 6, 2021
Gohmert has a long history of demonizing queer people, including opposing the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” opposing legal protections for LGBTQ people under hate crime laws, opposing marriage equality and claiming gay sex doesn’t advance the species. He also opposed making lynching a federal hate crime, decried mask mandates, and favors heavily arming teachers to prevent school shootings.
Here’s a 2016 video of Gohmert going on some bizarro rant about gay space colonies.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Fahd
Gee, that’s too bad about the fine. It’s also too bad Gomerde and his kind created and foster an atmosphere in which these heightened levels of security are essential. Fun fact: fines double after first offense and the amount is deducted directly from salary –
missvamp
fuck him. just another horrible, useless lawmaker who needs to be replaced in texas. i’m ashamed of my state.
Den
It would be practically impossible to find a legislator stupider than Gomert. Even Marge T. Greene is probably a tiny bit brighter than him.
I think you have to either be in an advanced state of dementia or have suffered significant traumatic brain injury to rank below him.
Openminded
Finally, the elitist have to deal with things all us regular folks have had to deal with ever since 9/11. If all our politicians had to justify their salaries, buy their own health insurance, etc. they would quickly realize how they have failed the American people.
Rules are rules and this rule was well publicized. The 2 morons thought they were above the rule and got slapped for it. Zero sympathy here.