Some of the usual whack jobs in the Republican caucus have refused to wear face coverings in Congress. Now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi brings down the hammer. Via the Washington Post:
Late Tuesday, she asked committee chairs to require masks at all hearings — and authorized the sergeant at arms to bar anyone who refuses to cover their face, according to a senior aide familiar with the request.
“This requirement will be enforced by the Sergeant at Arms and non-compliant Members will be denied entry,” the senior aide said in an email to The Washington Post. “Ultimately, Chairs will have the option of not recognizing Members in committee proceedings that fail to comply with the mask requirement.”
Pelosi made the decision after getting new guidelines from the attending physician of Congress, based on the consensus that masks are key to slowing the spread of coronavirus. His updated guidance now requires face masks in the House for anyone meeting “in a limited enclosed space, such as a committee hearing room, for greater than 15 minutes.”
Look for Republican attention seekers to use this for even more posturing:
Matt Gaetz (known for joking about masks, being exposed to COVID-19, and rushing rooms he's been denied entry to) is going to do something stupid, isn't he? https://t.co/Rz7hgUzibK
— emptywheel (@emptywheel) June 17, 2020
