Stenographer snaps, rants on House floor
Updated: 2:06 p.m. ET, 10/17/2013
Washington (CNN) – Amid all the chaos of the last-minute deal in Washington, there was an unusual moment on the House floor moments after the bill passed.
A House stenographer and well-known employee calmly took to a microphone and began screaming.
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"Do not be deceived. God shall not be mocked. A House divided cannot stand," she said, according to a House GOP aide. After a few seconds, she was escorted out by the Sergeant-at-Arms, but an audio recording by Todd Zwillich of Public Radio International captured the rest of her rant.
"He will not be mocked, He will not be mocked, (don't touch me) He will not be mocked. The greatest deception here, is that this is not one nation under God. It never was. Had it been... it would not have been... No. it would not have been... the Constitution would not have been written by Free Masons... and go against God. You cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve two masters. Praise be to God, Lord Jesus Christ."
House members and aides were surprised and unsettled by the scene.
"I don't know, she just snapped," said a GOP aide.
CNN's Dana Bash spoke with several staffers who knew the woman well.
"She’s a well-known person, she’s a perfectly nice person, a good colleague, somebody who’s respectable and dependable, and this is very surprising to everybody who works with her," Bash reported on air.
"The Sergeant in Arms didn’t try to stop her because she works there and that’s where she’s situated," Rep. Peter King, R-New York, told Jake Tapper. "And she actually went up behind the podium where the president speaks from. They thought she was going to hand something to the speaker, and then they realized."
Officer Shennell S. Antrobus of Capitol Police told CNN she wasn’t arrested or charged and was transported to a local area hospital by DC Fire for further evaluation.
In terms of an ongoing investigation or further action about the stenographer, Antrobus said no such action will be taken.
"There is nothing more, from our end, that we are going to do," Antrobus said.
–CNN’s Deirdre Walsh, Steve Brusk, Dan Merica and Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.
She may have been the most sane person in that chamber.
Poor kid. Stress brings out disease.
The Greatest (fictional) Story ever Told. What religion are you? I am a scientist. Oh, a Christian Scientist? No, just a scientist.
The poor dear........she's been doping it for years....... I would have snapped after a few days listening to half of these jerks on capital hill !!!
I would call for a Mistrial HAHAHAHAAH.
Time to loose your job, Oh thats right probably a Union person. Everything they did and do needs to be double check for accuracy. etc.
I hope this poor woman just had a rare episode... poor thing...
Saying she needs a two week vacation sounds very bad but considering all the stuff in Washington I'm sure they could find it in their small hearts to fund a two week vacation to the destination of her choice. Right wrong or indifferent this is what stress mixed with fear mixed with politics looks like. In other words reason uno why most Americans don't bother paying attention to washington. Hope if nothing else she feels better in a couple days.
I read another article that said she had worked for the government for 20 years....so it wasn't like she was a random person that broke in or anything, everyone that was there seemed to know her in some way.
I am suprised anyone in the House heard her, becuase they are all def!
Maybe if she had warmed up the crowd with a little Dr. Seuss first, they would have been more receptive.
well, she's bat chit crazy just as anyone who believes or supports her nonsense
I hope this poor woman just had a rare episode... poor thing...
@Sussay
The truth is that many devoutly religious people are suppressing these kinds of emotions constantly. She just happened to be so close to the action, allowing herself to try to interpret real world events with religion. This is the kind of internal struggle people worry about when they hear Justice Scalia openly talking about the devil.
She was simply channeling the sentiments of the tea party. She must have felt quite cozy with all the tea party Republicans in the room.
Great, another religious nutter.
Yup, like the stressed-out woman on the plane recently–video of which went viral. Sad, unfortunate event, and ya gotta feel for the folks who were there.
However, it didn't take long to realize that people are entirely misinterpreting what she's said, and *in a way* she's exactly right.
What way? There's a tiny percentage of people in this country who own most of EVERYTHING. I mean 98% of every-darn-thing, one way or another. That's led to a "divided house" that "cannot stand." I'm no Marxist or socialist, but even *I* can see that this HAS to change, or the kettle's gonna boil.
Another way? There's another not-so-tiny percentage of people in this country who are absolutely APOPLECTIC that one of THEM (a "person of color") has been elected President. Twice, to add insult to injury. These people are are so
*consumed* with irrational hatred that they're capable of nearly *anything,* like, well, a cornered animal.
That's the OTHER big, ugly, unspoken "division" that has forever haunted this country. It needs to be FACED, not ignored, and GOTTEN OVER. C-E-N-T-U-R-I-E-S of history seem not enough for these people to get OVER something, after seeing how it is ruining this great dream of a country and personally "staining" their own individual lives.
DIVIDED COUNTRY, indeed.
An absolute nut case, but not as bad as the politicians.
She gets taken to a mental hospital for ranting religious zealotry while Michelle Bachman and her ilk get elected to Congress. What's wrong with this picture?
She is right. The people have to do some responsible voting and restore a certain level of moderacy in our government.
She'll be a FOX news contributor next week..............
Ah, we see the true face of the Teanut Party!
THEY SHOULD ALL BE DESTROYED.
said by that guy in the Jurassic Park movie.
Throw her in the looney bin.
So many crazies....all ranting about something they know nothing about, just full of hot air and misinformation. Its called "brainwashed." And no, I don't have respect for brainwashed idiots who rant and rave like lunatics.
Do church ladies have brains? Sometimes I wonder.
She was the most sane and rational person in the room and had come to the point where she could no longer keep holding the truth in. Whether they like it or not, that crowd of hypocrites, liars and thieves needs to hear the truth, whether they will accept it or not!