Dem reps attempt to enter Department of Education, berate security for keeping them out

Democratic members of Congress were denied entry into the Department of Education in Washington, DC on Friday as a security guard told them that they could not enter, leading the lawmakers to berate the guard when they could not enter.

Video posted to social media on Friday showed the representatives berating the security guard at the door of the Department of Education. The situation comes as the Trump administration has been drafting an executive order to shut down the agency.

Rep. Maxine Watters (D-CA) told someone with a camera reporting on the scene that the security guard was a federal employee. She added, "We pay him. We raise money to make sure that we have a Department of Education. Everybody that's hired at the Department of Education are here because we pay for them to be here."

Watters later asked if the security guards would shoot them if they tried to force their way in through the door. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) said, "Billionaires can go in this building but not representatives,” in reference to Elon Musk. After the lawmakers berated the security guard outside, other officers showed up at the front doors to guard the way in.

According to The Hill, a source told the outlet that the Democratic lawmakers had sent a letter on Wednesday to the agency requesting an emergency meeting with the acting Education Secretary because of the potential executive order from the Trump White House.

The Democrats, after not hearing back from the acting Education Secretary, decided to show up on-site. The outlet reported that the source with knowledge of the situation said the security guard was from the Office of Security, Facilities and Logistics Services at the Department of Education.