Yesterday’s organizational meeting of the House Committee on Natural Resources was sidetracked, or hijacked, by a debate over whether members should be permitted to carry firearms into committee meetings.

An amendment introduced by Rep. Jared Huffman (D- California) met with strong Republican opposition. Arguments revisited the political violence of January 6th, raised questions about the mental competence of certain members, and pointed up the lack of vetting exposed by the George Santos debacle.

The Huffman amendment failed. Here are highlights of the discussion.