– Following today’s press conference, Rep. Andrew Clyde released the following statement on June 14^th, 2021, on the filing of suit against the use of magnetometers on the House floor and fines for alleged violators:

I am pleased to be joined by Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and our counsel, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Ken Cuccinelli, in bringing suit before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia today to challenge Speaker Pelosi’s unconstitutional and partisan rule used to fine only Republican members of the House of Representatives. The Speaker continues to play political games rather than engaging in genuine leadership to help solve the problems of the American People and our filing marks the beginning of the end of just one aspect of her authoritarian conduct.

House Resolution 73 (H.Res. 73) detains members from engaging in their duties to those they represent, in clear violation of Article I of the Constitution, and seeks to fine Republicans, in violation of the 27^th Amendment, to gain undue influence over their behavior and to further Speaker Pelosi’s false political narrative.

Let me be very clear, the intent of Speaker Pelosi is to gain improper influence over the actions of the opposition party and to further her false political narrative that, “…the enemy is within the House of Representatives.” H.Res. 73 is an absurdity built upon a foundation of Democrat lies that Republican members and their voters are dangerous domestic terrorists. In fact, Acting Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, Yogananda Pittman, reported to House members in a Republican Conference security briefing on February 24, 2021, that there existed no known intelligence from any source that any member of Congress was a threat to any other member, thereby revealing that the use of magnetometers as a condition to access the House floor is political grandstanding by Speaker Pelosi in violation of the Constitution. H.Res. 73 is being used selectively and punitively by Democrats to harass duly elected members of the opposition party.

Even in the face of this egregious treatment of members of the Republican conference, I respectfully worked with the House Ethics Committee to appeal these fines and resolve this issue cordially and professionally, as did many of my Republican colleagues. Unfortunately, the Committee’s Democratic wing has chosen a partisan and prejudiced path in its review process.

While I applaud Ethics Committee Republicans for opposing this unconstitutional rule in every appeal they have considered to date, it has been interesting to watch the Sergeant at Arms fail to issue a fine to the Speaker after incontrovertible video evidence showed she violated her own rules. It has been even more interesting to witness Ethics Committee Democrats pardon their own Whip, Jim Clyburn, for his violation, in a biased, rubber stamped flip-flop.

The flagrantly unequal treatment and targeting of Republican members is hypocritical and sets a dangerous precedent. I came here to serve the People of the Ninth District of Georgia and I will not be deterred by the Speaker’s political posturing and abuse of power. I am proud to have filed suit today with my friend Rep. Gohmert. We will seek our justice in the Court as there is none to be had in the People’s House under the corrupt rule of Speaker Pelosi.

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