From the files of Politico…
Rep. Dan Burton: trying to keep Congress safe?
Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.) seems afraid of being on the House floor.
Burton offered an amendment to H.R. 2918 that said the following: “Would require the Comptroller General to submit a report to the Committee on House Administration within 6 months of enactment analyzing the security arrangements of the House Chamber, including whether enclosing the House galleries in a transparent shield would be an appropriate and cost-effective measure.”
Basically, Burton wanted a study to be done that would determine whether closing the House galleries would be “a cost effective security measure,” explained his spokesman John Donnelly. Or, in laymen’s terms as told to us by someone familiar with the situation, “he wants a plexiglass wall to stop the public” from doing anything dangerous from the House gallery.
He has nothing against visitors or the Capitol Police who do a great job Donnelly tells Shenanigans, but the fact remains that “the Capitol Building is one of the top 2 targets for terrorists in the world,” Donnelly explains.
And at first if you don’t succeed, try again. This isn’t Burton’s first go at talking about closing the House galleries – or to have a study to see if closing the House galleries worthwhile – back in the 1980’s Burton asked the same thing.
“It’s a perennial of Burton’s,” another source says. “It has been routinely rejected because both parties have viewed it as separating the people from their House, and sends the wrong message. Rules has never highlighted.” And, sadly that’s what happened Thursday after the vote-o-rama, the Rules Committee didn’t approve it to be considered.
