Live Stream Ban: Congressional Republicans Propose Fines For Streaming Or Posting Photos From Floor Of House

Live streaming is more prevalent than ever and Republicans in Congress are feeling a little camera shy. A new proposal from lawmakers would institute fines on Congressional members who attempt to live stream video or post photos from the floor of the House of Representatives, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The policy would hit congressional members with a fine for broadcasting video, audio or photos while on the floor of the chamber: $500 for the first offense, and $2,500 for each incident thereafter. The funds would be taken out of the member’s salary.

"These changes will help ensure that order and decorum are preserved in the House of Representatives so lawmakers can do the people's work," House Speaker Paul Ryan spokesperson Ashlee Strong, said in a statement to Bloomberg.

The proposal is viewed by some as a response to a sit-in organized by House Democrats in June designed to force a vote on gun control legislation.

Led by long-time civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis, the protest was initially not broadcast to the public because Republican leadership declared a recess after the protest began. The move effectively killing the C-SPAN feed that would otherwise carry the events because the cameras are shut off when the House isn’t in session.

California Democrat Scott Peters began to broadcast from inside the House chamber using the Twitter-owned streaming app Periscope. C-SPAN eventually picked up the Periscope feed and shared the footage being shot from the representative’s smartphone.

Bolstering the belief the new rules are in direct response to the sit-in, an additional proposal would add new clarifications as to what is considered “disorderly or disruptive,” including a section that would prohibit "blocking access to legislative instruments such as microphones and blocking access [sic] the well of the House."

At the time, House Speaker Ryan condemned the sit-in and the subsequent broadcast, calling it a “publicity stunt” and an attempt to “get attention.”

Photography and video taken from the House floor is already considered a breach of decorum for representatives, and public broadcasts through C-SPAN have previously been cut off by both parties—last summer’s sit-in simply represented the first such incident in the age of live streaming.

Democratic representative Eric Swalwell of California responded to the proposed fine on Twitter, stating the House Republicans want to fine him and fellow Democrats who filmed the gun violence sit in. “I'll always stand w/ victims. Bring.It.On.,” he wrote.

Swalwell previously proposed an amendment to the House rules on cameras that would give C-SPAN back full control of its cameras, allowing the network to broadcast at any time rather than when the controlling party gaveled in a session.

Keith Ellison, a Democrat representing Minnesota, tweeted, “1st action of new congress will be to attack Dems who protested Republican inaction on mass shootings, but NO action to stop mass shootings.”

The proposed fines would require approval by the full House when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2017.

Twitter declined to provide comment on the proposal. Facebook did not respond when contacted for comment.