Pelosi confirms she will be maskless at State of the Union

President Biden's first-ever State of the Union address is rapidly approaching, and of course, Americans can expect him to touch on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — including, presumably, the Centers for Disease Control's updated mask guidance, which advised residents in counties with a low or medium level of community transmission that it was safe to go maskless indoors.
Washington, D.C. currently falls within that low risk category, notes The Hill. What's more, as of Tuesday, the White House lifted its mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals, just in time for the president's hallmark speech, to which all members of Congress were invited, reports The New York Times. Additionally, the Capitol physician on Sunday lifted the House mask mandate, per ABC News (a formal mask requirement was never enforced in the Senate, notes Roll Call).
Well, at least one attendee plans to heed the Capitol physician's and CDC's advice — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) confirmed Tuesday she would not wear a mask during the president's address, though she noted that if she "if I had little children or if I were around little grandchildren, I would."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I'm not going to be wearing a mask tonight. If I had little children or I were around little grandchildren, I would, because some of them would not be vaccinated," she told MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell. "Or if I were around a person or were a person with ... some kind of a condition that would make me susceptible to it."
"So I think people have to use their judgment about it," she concluded.
Anyone who chooses to attend Biden's speech is still nonetheless required to take a COVID-19 test before entering the chamber, adds The Associated Press.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
'Wonder drug': the potential health benefits of creatine
The Explainer Popular fitness supplement shows promise in easing symptoms of everything from depression to menopause and could even help prevent Alzheimer's
-
What's next for Elon Musk?
Today's Big Question The world's richest man has become 'disillusioned' with politics – but returning to his tech empire presents its own challenges
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 – 30 May
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges
-
Germany lifts Kyiv missile limits as Trump, Putin spar
speed read Russia's biggest drone and missile attacks of the war prompted Trump to post that Putin 'has gone absolutely CRAZY!'
-
Tied Supreme Court blocks church charter school
speed read The court upheld the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to bar overtly religious public charter schools
-
GOP megabill would limit judicial oversight of Trump
speed read The domestic policy bill Republicans pushed through the House would protect the Trump administration from the consequences of violating court orders