GOP Representative Wants To Erect Plexiglas Shield Around Congress

Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) recently announced plans in the wake of the Arizona shooting to reintroduce a piece of legislation that would provide for the creation of Plexiglas-like wall that would enclose the House gallery, preventing visitors from being able to throw explosives onto the floor.

"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," the legislation reads, according to CBS News.

From CBS News's report:

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.)

Following the attack, AP reports that congressional members held a large conference call to discuss additional measures that would be taken in order to protect legislators.

Beyond those issues discussed over the weekend, Politico reports Tuesday that other lawmakers such as Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-Ill.), who has proposed a 10 percent increase in staff budgets to cover improved security measures, have begun to float ideas to bolster congressional protections.

As HuffPost's Ryan Grim and Lucia Graves reported Tuesday, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) is expected to introduce legislation that will combine gun control concerns with the safety of government officials by making it illegal to carry a firearm within 1,000 feet of such officeholders.

Comments

[ZeraLee]

04:06 PM on 01/15/2011

Has the House fallen in such disrepute that they need a sneeze guard to protect them from flying tomatoes? Maybe so...can I sell free-speech vegetables from my Victory Garden? It would be one way to "squash" free speech. I always wondered why someone would buy individually wrapped prunes.

Explosives? Really? And the only place they could be used is from the visitor's gallery? Puhleez!

We need to keep our people safe, but we cannot paralyze ourselves with an over-abundance of security. I am getting a little tired of people caving in to fear. Let's show a bit of forethought and courage.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
- Benjamin Franklin

[TurnToTheLeft]

07:10 PM on 01/13/2011

Fear is what the Republicans know best. Protect me first who cares about the people or the people's business. To enclose the chamber of the House of Representatives is completely Un-American. Capital hill already has enough protection. If anything congressmen need to worry about others on floor like Texas Representative Gohmert who wants to carry a GUN on the chamber floors. Does he expect to duel?

[tploomis]

01:11 AM on 01/13/2011

He needs to take down the plexiglass around his heart.

[montn2]

04:25 PM on 01/12/2011

Who will pay for this? They certainly think a lot about protecting themselves -- how about some gun control legislation to protect the rest of us? I cannot walk in a grocery store, restaurant, movie theater without concealed weapon carriers around. I want a plexi glass protective dome too.

[RichardVinthagen]

04:15 PM on 01/12/2011

Why do they want the wall, they already have the perfect society (and anybody not loving it can leave). Can it be because the perfect society is now reaching them and maybe the next time it will be a GOP and not a dem?

[John D Tipton]

03:03 PM on 01/12/2011

Doesn't Congress already live in a bubble?!

[Danlantic]

02:44 PM on 01/12/2011

Hardware cloth would be cheaper.

[twninja]

02:37 PM on 01/12/2011

Better yet, lets install the Body Scanners in the senate and house so they can be better protected against bombing threats!

[Garspies]

02:35 PM on 01/12/2011

GOP: Give everybody guns and protect only us.

[montn2]

02:28 PM on 01/12/2011

This idea sounds like a joke -- a totally insane joke. What a bunch of scaredy cats.

[celere]

02:26 PM on 01/12/2011

Gee, if Saturday's event was the deed of a non-political mentally ill individual, as Republican spokespeople are saying, then why would they suddenly feel the need to shield Congress from gun vi.olence?

[jean7019]

02:45 PM on 01/12/2011

Obviously no new gun laws are needed. The NRA owns Congress. No additional protection for the public - then no new protection for Congress

[VinnieDabadu]

09:38 AM on 01/13/2011

Bingo!

[Donns]

02:20 PM on 01/12/2011

Could it be so constructed to keep the "K Street" bunch away from the politicians?

[Sunmaker]

01:57 PM on 01/12/2011

Why don't they just crawl in a hole and stay there! The GOP has endorsed all types of hate messages and enjoyed doing it. Now the tables have turned on them and they want to run and hide! As long as the big bucks come in from the NRA things will remain the same.

[MickleVonTickle]

01:56 PM on 01/12/2011

Gross.

[galaxian]

01:54 PM on 01/12/2011

A wall is not a solution. Dummy.

[we-r-stardust]

02:27 PM on 01/12/2011

Complete the dang wall :-)

[jdevans]

02:39 PM on 01/12/2011

Tear down this wall!

If Congress doesn't have a wall, they'll have to keep a civil tongue in their heads so as not to incite the crazies.