'I do believe': Nancy Pelosi claims 'enemy is within House of Representatives'

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on January 28, said that House members could pay for additional security measures with their congressional allowances. More than 30 members of the lower house had earlier written a missive to Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy requesting more flexibility in using their allowances toward helping their personal safety by hiring local law enforcement or other security personnel for their home district offices. The letter came within a month of US Capitol Breach which saw supporters of former President Donald Trump storming the building.

'The enemy is within the House'

Speaking to media reporters, Pelosi also stressed that on the need to pass additional funding for member security as "the enemy is within the House of Representatives." "It shouldn't be that not only is the president of the United States inciting an insurrection but keeps fanning the flame endangering the security of members of Congress, to the point that they're even concerned about members in the House of Representatives being a danger to them," she said. 

When asked about who was she referring to by saying “the enemy is within”, the house speaker clearly said that it was for members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have earlier threatened violence on other members of Congress.

Previously, Republican members of the House of Representative including Andy Harris and Lauren Boebert had expressed a desire to bring a gun to the floor of house chambers, CBS News reported.  In addendum, Marjorie Taylor Greene, earlier in 2019 had made an online post where she called Pelosi “guilty of treason” and “a crime punishable by death”.

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Read: Nancy Pelosi's Laptop Stolen During Capitol Riot, Sale To Russian Agencies Suspected: FBI

In other news, Pelosi has also warned that Congress members may face prosecution if any evidence is found of their involvement in last week's Capitol siege. This comes after some House Democrats have said that people on the inside, such as Congress members and police officers, may have helped perpetrate the attack. Over 30 House Democrats have asked the acting House and Senate sergeants-at-arms and the acting head of the Capitol Police for information about who was in the building on January 5. 

Read: Nancy Pelosi Brings Retired Lt. Gen Russel L. Honore To Monitor Security Before Jan 20

Read: Nancy Pelosi Pushes For Prosecution Of US Congress Members Involved In Capitol Hill Siegel