Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL), joined by 31 members of the Republican Conference, sent a letter Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), demanding the Capitol be open for the public to access without restriction.
In a letter, the Republican members of Congress requested for the public to regain access to the national Capitol without “restrictions that require visitors to be on a preapproved list,” including letting the House and Senate office buildings be open so the “American people could easily access their elected representatives.”
The letter from the group of Republicans asked for Pelosi and Schumer to “lift COVID-19 restrictions limiting public access to the United States Capitol.”
“With official business visits allowed at the U.S. Capitol as of April 26, 2021, and at the House Office Buildings on April 29, 2021, it seems only natural that the next step would be to open the Capitol,” the group states.
The Republicans believe it is well “past time to return to pre-COVID normalcy” with the recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updating their restrictions for Americans who are vaccinated, the public should be allowed “to enter the Capitol without being on a preapproved list.”
Brooks, who is leading the charge, said Pelosi and Schumer had put enough restrictions on the Capitol, which goes against “the First Amendment to the Constitution,” which allows Americans the “right to petition their government for redress of their grievances.”
“America has historically prided ourselves on transparency and easy citizens access to government institutions,” Brooks said. The Republican from Alabama called the Democrats’ persistence to keep people out of the Capitol “shameful.” He continued to say, “[e]specially when states are lifting restrictions and the CDC is recommending fully-vaccinated Americans return to pre-COVID normalcy.”
Brooks believes Pelosi and Schumer are depriving Americans of the First Amendment Freedom of Speech rights along with the First Amendment right to petition their government. While at the same time, the Capitol remains to be inaccessible.
“As is often the way with Socialists, they don’t give a twit about denying citizens their First Amendment rights to make their voices heard,” Brooks states. “I, and the signers of this letter, demand Pelosi and Schumer protect and defend First Amendment rights by lifting Capitol access restrictions.”
The letter was signed by Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL), Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC), Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Rep. Tracey Mann (R-KS), Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL), Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX). Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Jerry Carl (R-AL), Rep. Ronny L. Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Rep. Marjorie T. Greene (R-GA), and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX).
Editor’s note: This article has been corrected to properly identify Rep. Debbie Lesko as R-AZ
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