Ethics Panel: No Action Against Rep. Jackie Speier In Abortion Protest

SAN MATEO, CA — The House Ethics Committee will not pursue further action against the 17 Democratic lawmakers, including California U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, who were arrested by Capitol Police for blocking traffic outside the U.S. Supreme Court while protesting for abortion access.

As Washington, D.C. Patch previously reported, high-profile Democrats such as Barbara Lee and fellow Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, were among 35 people arrested for crowding, obstructing or incommoding, police said.

On Friday afternoon, the House Ethics committee said it convened Wednesday to consider the arrests.

"Each of the arrested Members informed the Committee they have paid or intend to pay the $50 fines related to their arrests. The legal proceedings related to the arrests are expected to be resolved with no further action," the committee said.

The panel said it voted against impanelling an investigative subcommittee on the matter

"The Committee considered the scope and nature of the conduct described above and determined that review by an investigative subcommittee is not required in this matter," the committee said, adding it will "take no further action," and "considers the matter closed."

Speier represents California's 14th District, which stretches from the southern portion of San Francisco through San Mateo County to East Palo Alto.

She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she is the chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, and on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where also she serves as chair of the Strategic Technologies and Advanced Research Subcommittee and serves on the Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee.

Additionally, she serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, where she serves on the Subcommittees on National Security and Economic and Consumer Policy.

Here are all the representatives who were arrested:

• Rep. Alma Adams of North Carolina
• Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri
• Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts
• Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania
• Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas
• Rep. Sara Jacobs of California
• Rep. Barbara Lee of California
• Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan
• Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
• Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
• Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts
• Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois
• Rep. Jackie Speier of California
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
• Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York
• Bonnie Watson of New Jersey.