Hoyer Writes to Sergeant-at-Arms About Capitol Safety After Cawthorn Caught with Gun at Airport a Second Time
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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wrote to the House Sergeant-at-Arms on Wednesday about gun possession in the Capitol. The Maryland Democrat indicated he is concerned about “unclear or ambiguous” rules surrounding firearms in and around the building.
Hoyer even invoked a recent incident in which Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) was caught with a handgun at a security checkpoint at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. It wasn’t the freshman congressman’s first time, either. He was busted in February 2021 with a firearm at Asheville Regional Airport.
“I want to thank you for continuing to keep me and other Members updated on progress being made to ensure the security of all who serve, work, and visit here as well to make gun safety regulations stronger and clearer,” Hoyer wrote to Sergeant-at-Arms William Walker. “To that end, I write to ask that you share with me your view on how the security of the Capitol complex can be enhanced and, specifically, the question of whether the Capitol Complex ought to be made a fully gun-free zone, outside of Capitol Police and other authorized law enforcement.”
Hoyer stated that some members are under the impression that “they have a right to carry personal firearms in these spaces, including committee rooms where they are engaged in committee business.”
The majority leader then brought up the Cawthorn incident, though he did not mention him by name.
“In light of the disturbing news that a Member was detained by police for a second time yesterday at the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, after again trying to bring a loaded firearm onto a commercial flight, it is essential that we have a clear and unambiguous policy in place regarding gun safety in the Capitol Complex and grounds,” he wrote. “This matter concerns the safety and wellbeing of every individual who serves in Congress, who works in the legislative branch, who visits his or her representative’s office, who tours the historic U.S. Capitol, and who stands guard here as part of the Capitol Police or other law enforcement agency.”
Security at the Capitol became a major issue after the Jan. 6 insurrection, when a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building in an attempt to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election.
