WASHINGTON ��House Speaker Paul Ryan and his Republican lieutenants want to hit fellow lawmakers with fines and potential ethics violations if they engage in live-streaming or other disruptions on the House floor.
The move is a belated response to the 25-hour sit-in in June by Democrats protesting Republican inaction on gun-control legislation.
Under the proposed new rules, members could be fined $500 fine for a first offense of using electronic photography or audio or visual recording, and for broadcasting from the House floor. A $2,500 fine would be levied for the next such offense and each subsequent violation.
The new rules also clarifies what conduct is to be deemed disorderly or disruptive during floor proceedings, including blocking access by other members to microphones or the "well" ��the front of the House chamber.
Such action could lead to potential referral to the Committee on Ethics and sanctions against members, according to an accompanying section-by-section analysis of the new rules package.
There was no comment on the Republican crackdown from a spokesman for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Some Republicans were upset that Ryan and other leaders didn't look for ways to punish Democrats, including Rep. John Lewis of Georgia and Rep. John Larson of Connecticut, who were involved in commandeering the well in June.
Democrats were upset that Republicans, who hold the majority, had not brought a gun-control bill to the floor after the mass shooting at an Orlando, Fla., nightclub. They wanted to vote legislation to broaden safeguards, including background checks .
Rules that some Republicans said were violated during the action included Democrats using mobile phones on the floor to record their protest, and taking photographs. The Republican leaders turned off the official cameras and declared a recess shortly after the protest started, but some Democrats got their message out to the public by using live-streaming apps.
House members from both parties can offer amendments to the proposed rules before a final version is to be voted on Jan. 3 when the new Congress convenes.
Among the proposals other provisions, one would reauthorize the quasi-independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which is an investigative clearinghouse for complaints of misconduct against lawmakers and staff and makes referrals to the ethics committee.
