Md. Rep. Andrew P. Harris and Gun Control
Andrew P. Harris, representative from Maryland’s First Congressional District, was one of a small group of House Republicans who repeatedly tried to evade the long-established prohibition against taking firearms into the House or Senate chambers.
On Thursday, January 21, 2021, Representative Harris walked to the entrance of the House chamber. He was carrying a gun.
Though concealed by his suit jacket, the gun set off the new metal detector that had been installed after the January 6th rioters’ invasion of the Capitol.
According to the HuffPost, whose reporter witnessed the incident, when Harris set off the metal detector, the Capitol Police proceeded to wand-scan him, revealing a gun concealed under his suit jacket. The officers refused to let Harris enter the House floor where a vote was in process.
The reporter then saw Harris attempt to get another member to take his gun so that Harris could go in and vote. That member, Rep. John Katko, a Republican from New York, said that he didn’t have “a license” and refused to hold the weapon while Harris voted.
Harris then left and returned shortly without the gun and was allowed into the House chamber.
This type of flouting of D.C. law, Capitol Police regulations, and House rules was easier to get away with before the metal detectors.
After the metal detectors were installed, some lawmakers, including Harris, openly resisted the new security measures. They tended to walk around the detectors, refusing to go through them. Or they walked through and refused to be searched or wand-scanned when they set off the detectors’ alarms.
In a way, this resistance to following what most would consider reasonable gun regulations is consistent with Harris’s voting record on gun control. He has voted against practically every proposed law that would regulate guns in any way, including a bill that would prevent the regulation of armor-piercing bullets. This would make it easier for criminals to obtain ammunition that could penetrate the bullet-proof vests worn by police and security guards. Harris also voted against banning the carrying of guns at airports and similar locations. His complete voting record on gun control and other topics can be found here.
Who may legally carry guns in the halls of Congress and the surrounding Capitol Complex? That’s a question that is currently quite controversial. And a bit tricky.
The Capitol Complex contains 20 buildings and extensive grounds, covering several blocks in downtown Washington, D.C. — most of the buildings used by Congress and the Federal Courts. There are nine House and Senate office buildings, three Library of Congress buildings, the Supreme Court building, and the U.S. Botanic Garden, plus several other facilities — many connected by tunnels. The grounds include four small parks and the Capitol Visitor Center.
This entire complex is subject to both federal and D.C. law.
In addition, there are rules, regulations, and traditions handed down from Congress, the Capitol Police, and various other supervising organizations. None of these, however, are supposed to take precedence over either federal or D.C. law.
Every year, millions of people visit the Capitol Complex. None are allowed to carry guns.
D.C. gun regulations are strict. Only registered firearms are permitted and only a few types of guns are eligible for registration. For example, rifles and shotguns are not allowed. They’re considered not appropriate or needed in an urban environment. Likewise, semi-automatic defined as assault weapons are forbidden as are any guns with detachable ammunition magazines that can hold more than 10 bullets.
Pistols require a “license to carry” issued by the District. Licenses to carry from other states are not valid in D.C.
And D.C. laws have numerous areas and situations where even registered guns are not allowed. The prohibition of firearms extends to such areas as schools, within 1,000 feet of a demonstration, and in the Capitol Complex.
The no-guns policy applies to everyone in the Capitol Complex — except the Capitol Police and members of Congress who may keep guns in their office but not carry them onto the floor of either the House or Senate.
This exception for legislators has some significant restrictions.
Lawmakers’ guns:
- Must be kept in their offices except when being transported to and from the building.
- Cannot be carried into the House or Senate chambers and some other specified areas in the Capitol Complex.
- Must be unloaded. (Ammunition may be carried separately.)
- Must be stored safely and transported securely wrapped and covered.
Harris, whether knowingly or not, was clearly in violation of the latter provision. He had complained in the hearing of the HuffPost reporter that his aides were supposed to remind him about the new metal detectors. However, he, along with several others, had repeatedly resisted the new security measures by walking around the detectors until the Capitol Police had cordoned off that access.
Some may wonder what reason legislators have for keeping firearms in their offices at all, or elsewhere in the Capital Complex. Or why they should not have to obey the same laws and regulations that everyone else in D.C. and Congress are required to follow.
Jane Jewell is a writer, editor, photographer, and teacher. She has worked in news, publishing, and as the director of a national writer's group. She lives in Chestertown with her husband Peter Heck, a ginger cat named Riley, and a lot of books.
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