GOP Rep. Wants to Enclose Congress in Plexiglas

Capitol police remove Medea Benjamin from the House gallery after she disrupted a speech by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday, July 26, 2006, as the prime minister addressed a joint meeting of Congress.

/ AP Photo/Dennis Cook

An aide to Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) tells CBS News that the Indiana Republican plans to introduce legislation next week that would encase the House Gallery in "a transparent and substantial material" such as Plexiglas that would keep members of the public from being able to throw explosives or make other attacks on members on the House floor.

Burton has introduced similar legislation in the past. It reads in part, "The Architect of the Capitol shall enclose the visitors' galleries of the House of Representatives with a transparent and substantial material, and shall install equipment so that the proceedings on the floor of the House of Representatives will be clearly audible in the galleries."

A past version of the legislation, which will be reintroduced in the wake of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Saturday, references past attacks on Congress. Among them are a 1915 bombing by a man protesting U.S. involvement in World War 1, the shooting of five members of Congress by Puerto Rican nationalists during a House vote in 1954, and a the placing of a bomb by the Weather Underground in a Senate bathroom in 1971. (The bomb went off early and no one was hurt.)

An image from the House floor as the 112th Congress convenes for the first time on Jan. 5, 2010.

/ CBS

There were also two incidents in 1983. The first involved a man strapping an explosive to his body and trying unsuccessfully to detonate it in the House visitor's gallery. And the second came when a group called the Armed Resistance Unit planted a bomb outside the Senate chamber. The bomb detonated at 11:00 p.m., when no one was in the area.

More recently, in 1998, a gunman shot two police officers at an entrance to the Capitol.

Burton is not the only lawmakers pressing for extra security precautions in the wake of the Giffords shooting. Democratic Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois announced today that he is pushing to have members' office budgets increased to cover additional security measures. The new GOP House cut members' budgets by five percent last week. Jackson says that cut should be reversed and another ten percent should be added to budgets to cover installing cameras at district offices, hiring security guards and other measures.

"After the events of last weekend it is clear that our district staffs are vulnerable," Jackson said in a statement. "Members should have the resources and the latitude to take the appropriate security measures in order to protect themselves and their staffs."

Lawmakers are now considering to what degree they should inoculate themselves from the public in order to reduce their security risks. While the Plexiglas would protect members from attacks while on the House floor, it would not have had any impact on attacks in home districts like the Giffords shooting. And some members have expressed concerns that erecting barriers between themselves and the public sends the wrong message.

[simpleconservative]

Just shows you what upstanding people the Republicans are. They want to protect the Illiberal left from their own wacko's!

[stn_sage]

The people of Indiana have made a tragic mistake, one that they will no doubt correct the next election cycle! Dan Burton, in my opinion, is obviously, a "nut"! Security at the Capitol is already tight! As noted in the article, in 1998, a gunman shot a couple guards, but did not get in to do additional damage! The current security system IS working, leave 'well enough' alone! If Burton, Jackson, and assorted others are so afraid, then let them RESIGN...NOW! Because it appears to me that their reservations are probably more a result of laziness, paranoia, and unwillingness to do their jobs! They're their for the paycheck and the 'benefits', but could care less about the public's business!

[kcsteak2]

Sounds like he wants a "gates community".

[mecury69]

And then fill it with cement (while in full session).

[rrt1441]

I knew Burton was a nut job long ago when he shot at a watermellon in his back yard to "prove" the Kennedy shooting was done by one man. He has been in Congress too long.

[stn_sage]

OMG! I never heard about him conducting his own 'watermelon experiments'...I wonder how many from Indiana knew this when they sent him back?! Yikes!

[jimbom121]

How much will the plexiglass shield cost? Will it add to the deficit?

[rykatspop]

The new GOP and their promises. Oh really? THEIR words: "We'll roll back govt spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels." But the stopgap spending bill expires in March on a cycle that began in Oct.. So, it's NOW too late to do any cutting to make up for the rest of the year--forcing even deeper cuts to do it.

So, they are NOW backtracking from their $100 billion dollar spending cut promises--making excuses. Strike one!!!!

Next, they promised to curb spending for office expenses for House leaders, rank and file lawmakers, etc . . . but those expenses have gone up 14% from the 2008 figures they credit using. Boehner said "The Pledge to America" doesn't commit Congress to cutting budget levels back to 2008, only domestic accounts. Hmmm, more DC double talk and flip-flopping. Strike two!!!!!!

Finally, they promised to let any lawmaker R or D offer amendments to reduce spening (promising open debate) even though the Dems didn't do this with Repubs. Example, the GOP House will try to repeal Obamacare, but won't allow a yes/no vote that tells who voted down any key provisions of . . . no insurance company can exclude for pre-existing conditions, etc. Strike three!!!!

I guess the GOP doesn't want anyone to know that they will deny popular rules to keep insurers in check because the GOP will vote AGAINST those protections for voters. (Source: Oregonian/Editorial, Tues. Jan 11, 2011)

Sounds like the GOP has fooled stupid voters again. Sounds like they are up to their old slimy, flip-flop, two-faced tricks now that they are back in power. Nahh, they aren't corporate shills. Nahhh. Sounds like they are throwing away that second chance they begged for last November. Boy, it didn't take long, did it? There's your GOP, Tea Party hope dumb-dumbs.

[levelheadedtoo]

The average GOP member of congress makes over $900,000 per year. They live in gated communities, their kids attend private schools, they enjoy private memberships and they are catered to by the expense accounts of big business. It would only stand to reason that they would be uncomfortable being near an ordinary American. This body looks down on the average Joe with contempt. These are the people that don't see any need for universal health care, tax breaks for the middle or educating the masses. So putting up a fence between them and us is perfectly normal to them and their sheep.

[liberalme]

AND we provide them and their families with cadillac health coverage at no cost to them.

[wyodutch]

I don't blame them. If I were part of a gang that has screwed-up America so badly... I'd want to hide from the angry citizens as well.
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If things keep getting worse, the day may come when plexiglas isn't enough... They may have to hide out in the cornfield to escape the masses of people looking for them with blazing torches and pitchforks.
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[jose_z1]

like at the zoo !

[consh8theusa]

Yes, the public in the gallery will caged up just like in the Zoo, maybe the congressmen will throw peanuts at them from the floor.