Update: Speaker Johnson announced he will not be fining Thomas Massie
The House Sergeant at arms has threatened Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) with a $500 fine for posting a video on X of Democrats waving Ukraine flags as the House passed tens of billions in funding for Ukraine’s faraway war effort against Russia, according to Massie.
Massie’s surreal video, filmed from the House floor, appears to be in violation of House rules, although the rule is routinely violated.
US Congressman Thomas Massie (C), R-KY, speaks with US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) as she holds a press conference to call for the dismissal of Dr. Anthony Fauci on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 15, 2021. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The video post has over 5.5 million views as of Tuesday afternoon. “This is the U.S. House of Representatives under the direction of Speaker Mike Johnson,” Massie’s caption reads. “Democrats are celebrating his total capitulation with no victory for securing our border.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters just after lawmakers pushed a $95 billion national security aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies closer to passage, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Democrats appeared to violate House rules themselves by waving flags on the House floor, although none appear to have publicly disclosed they have been fined.
Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO), among others, rushed to the dais during the spectacle, with Roy saying he told Democrats “If you don’t put those flags back in your pocket right now, I’m gonna force every procedural vote…to make them miss their flights.” They soon stopped.
Roy said he and Boebert summoned Johnson to the chair to address the Democrats. “It is in violation of decorum to wave flags on the floor,” a beaming Johnson eventually told the group over a minute after they began waving flags.
The House Sergeant at Arms serves under the direction of the Speaker or presiding officer. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) seemed to blame Speaker Johnson for the Sergeant at Arms’ threat and uneven justice.
“Dems waved foreign flags, violating House decorum. No fine. No reaction,” he posted on X. “Massie recorded it & released it to the public. He’s threatened with a fine unless he deletes the video.
“Covering for Dems. Punishing Republicans. Not what I expected from the GOP majority.”
Massie has not said if he will pay the fine or take down the video. Boebert responded on X that she would cover its cost.
“I’ll be writing a $500 check to cover my friend Thomas Massie’s fine. Leave the video up, Co-Chair!” she said.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
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