After Democratic members of Congress staged a sit-in in the House chamber to protest stalled gun control efforts, Republican U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan is trying to stiffen up punishments for demonstrating lawmakers and that has Massachusetts's representatives crying fowl.
Ryan wants to deduct $500 fines from members' paychecks for taking photos, webcasting or recording audio or video from the House floor. Subsequent offences would mean a $2,500 fine.
Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Melrose) was one of the key organizers of the June demonstration, when dozens of Democratic lawmakers occupied the well of the House chamber and refused to leave until Congress debated gun safety legislation. Multiple demonstrators, all elected House members, used social media like Facebook and Periscope to post images, recordings and live video of the sit-in.
"The point here isn't so much the rule, it is the silence from the Republican majority and their unwillingness to follow our legislative process," Clark told WGBH News.
Representative Seth Moulton also took part in the protest and says house leadership shouldn't be hiding when votes aren't coming to the floor.
"Cutting back on transparency is always a backwards move. We need to be open, transparent and we need to do the people's business," Moulton said.
Though Ryan's proposed fines would not be retroactive, Clark sees the move as punishment for the sit-in.
"We have a Speaker whose first act in the new session of Congress is not going to be something of substance, but going back and trying to punish those of us who took place in the sit-in," Clark said.
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Somerville) also supported the sit-in and said the rule is unconstitutional.
"I find it ironic that some members of Congress don’t seem to care about that aspect. House Republicans can pass whatever unconstitutional rules they want and try to enforce whatever unconstitutional rules they want. It will not stop me from speaking out or challenging the status quo with everything I have when necessary”, Capuano wrote in a statement.
The House convenes on Tuesday and could vote on Ryan's new rules.
