Lawmaker Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., says he’s fighting back against fines issued for failing to complete security screenings because “someone has to stand up for the Constitution," otherwise House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will continue to “do everything she has done to increase her power,” reduce what Republicans are able to do and further her “false political narrative.”
“She considers us the enemy,” Clyde said Tuesday during an appearance on Newsmax's “American Agenda.”
Clyde, of Georgia, and Rep. Louie Gohmert, of Texas, have filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of fines issued against them for bypassing metal detectors to enter the House chamber.
Both have been fined $5,000 for skipping the metal detector on their way into the House floor. Clyde has been fined twice – once for $5,000 and another time for $10,000. The fines are taken out of the lawmakers’ salary and cannot be paid for by campaign funds or the office budget.
In their lawsuit filed in D.C. district court, the pair argued that the fines amount to "a means of harassing democratically-elected representatives who are members of the opposition party in the House of Representatives.”
They also say the fines are violations of the Constitution’s 27th Amendment, which prohibits changes to lawmakers’ salaries until an election has passed.
“We’re not against metal detectors,” said Gohmert. “But the chief of capitol police told our Republican members of the House twice that there is no intelligence, no information from any source whatsoever that any member of Congress is a threat to any other member. There is no reason to add a second layer of metal detectors just around the House chamber for members of Congress when there’s nobody that’s a threat.”
Clyde says Democrats are using House Resolution 73 to “selectively and punitively harass" Republican members. “If anyone out there wants to assist us with this, they can go to QueenPelosi.com, which will give them some additional information about this lawsuit. We’re standing for the Constitution here. That’s what we plan to do and we’re going to win this thing."
Note: See Newsmax TV now carried in more than 100 million U.S. homes, on DirecTV Ch. 349, Dish Network Ch. 216, Xfinity Ch. 1115, Spectrum, U-verse Ch. 1220, FiOS Ch. 615, Frontier Ch. 115, Optimum Ch. 102, Cox cable, Suddenlink Ch. 102, Mediacom Ch. 277, AT&T TV Ch 349, FUBO and major OTT platforms like Roku, YouTube, Xumo, Pluto and most smart TV’s including Samsung+, Sony, LG, Vizio and more – Find All Systems that Carry Newsmax – Click Here
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.