Stenographer held after Holy Spirit rant in US Congress

A House of Representatives stenographer who unleashed a rant about God as Congress voted to end the US fiscal stand-off reportedly said she was doing the will of the "Holy Spirit".

The official chamber transcriber, identified by US media as Dianne Reidy, climbed the House of Representatives dais and began shouting as lawmakers watched in shock during the crucial Wednesday night vote to end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.

"He will not be mocked. He will not be mocked," she yelled as US Capitol Police took her away after she was forcibly removed from the chamber by staff.

"The greatest deception here is, this is not one nation under God. It never was," she continued. "The constitution would not have been written by Freemasons. They go against God."

Then, as she was reportedly ushered into an elevator, she said: "You cannot serve two masters. Praise be to God! Lord Jesus Christ reigns forever."

The woman was questioned after her outburst but not arrested, and she is believed to have gone to hospital for observation.

Fox News congressional producer Chad Pergram tweeted that Reidy said the "Holy Spirit has been waking me up in the middle of the night to deliver a message in the House Chamber".

On C-Span, which records Congress, a woman can clearly be seen leaving her stenographer position and calmly walking to the rostrum, near where the president gives his annual state-of-the- union speech, to launch her bizarre rant before stunned lawmakers, staff and reporters.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Typist held after Holy Spirit rant in Congress

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