IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 432 

Providing for enclosing the visitors’ galleries of the House of Representatives 

with a transparent and substantial material. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2007 

Mr. BURTON of Indiana submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on House Administration 

RESOLUTION 

Providing for enclosing the visitors’ galleries of the House 

of Representatives with a transparent and substantial 

material. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

3 Congress finds the following: 

4 (1) The first bombing of the Capitol occurred 

5 in the Senate in 1915 by a man protesting United 

6 States involvement in World War I. 

7 (2) On March 1, 1954, four Puerto Rican na8 tionalists armed with .38 caliber revolvers entered 

9 the visitors’ gallery of the House of Representatives 

10 and fired a total of 19 shots at Members and staff 

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1 while the House was in session and conducting a 

2 vote; five Members were struck by the gunfire. 

3 (3) In 1971, a group named the Weather Un4 derground planted an explosive device in a first-floor 

5 restroom in the Senate to protest United States mili6 tary involvement in the Vietnam War. The device 

7 detonated early in the morning when the building 

8 was closed, causing extensive damages but no inju9 ries. 

10 (4) In 1983, a man carrying an improvised ex11 plosive device strapped to his body entered the visi12 tors’ gallery of the House of Representatives while 

13 the House was in session. He was able to construct 

14 the device in such a manner as to avoid detection 

15 during security screening. During a floor debate, the 

16 man attempted to detonate the device until United 

17 States Capitol Police officers restrained him, re18 moved him from the gallery, and secured the device. 

19 (5) Also in 1983, a group named the Armed 

20 Resistance Unit planted an explosive device on the 

21 second floor of the Senate, outside the Senate 

22 Chamber, to protest United States military involve23 ment in Central America. The device detonated at 

24 11:00 p.m. causing extensive damage to the area 

25 around the Chamber. At the time, the Senate had 

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1 already recessed and no one was in the area when 

2 the blast occurred. 

3 (6) On July 24, 1998, a lone gunman entered 

4 the Document Door of the Capitol and immediately 

5 shot and killed the officer posted at location. The 

6 gunman then exchanged gunfire with another officer 

7 before fleeing further into the building where he en8 gaged in another gunfight in which a second officer 

9 was killed. The gunman was shot several times dur10 ing this incident. 

11 (7) On the terrible and fateful morning of Sep12 tember 11, 2001, the people of the United States be13 came painfully aware of the destructive intent of ter14 rorists as well as the increasingly sophisticated and 

15 devastating methods by which they conduct their 

16 deadly work. Evidence strongly suggests Members of 

17 Congress were and continue to remain a terrorist 

18 target. 

19 (8) The visitors’ galleries of the House of Rep20 resentatives and the Senate are the frequent target 

21 of demonstrators. Whenever the House or Senate is 

22 debating a subject that is controversial or polarizing, 

23 it is not uncommon for disturbances and acts of civil 

24 disobedience to occur in the galleries. 

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1 (9) Each year, an estimated 3 to 5 million peo2 ple from around the world visit the United States 

3 Capitol. 

4 (10) In addition to visitors, Members, and their 

5 staffs, a sizable number of journalists, lobbyists, and 

6 service personnel also work within the Capitol com7 plex. 

8 (11) The above-cited incidents and the large 

9 number of visitors and personnel present in the Cap10 itol at any one time require the highest level of secu11 rity possible for the Capitol complex. 

12 SEC. 2. ENCLOSURE OF VISITORS’ GALLERIES OF THE 

13 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. 

14 (a) ENCLOSURE.—The Architect of the Capitol shall 

15 enclose the visitors’ galleries of the House of Representa16 tives with a transparent and substantial material, and 

17 shall install equipment so that the proceedings on the floor 

18 of the House of Representatives will be clearly audible in 

19 the galleries. 

20 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—There shall be paid out of the 

21 applicable accounts of the House of Representatives such 

22 sums as may be reasonably necessary to carry out this 

23 section. 

Æ 

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