The House reinstated its mask mandate, and lawmakers are already fighting
The House just reinstated its mask mandate, per updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, and already, things are not going according to plan.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) threw a mask back in the face of a staffer, after Boebert tried to walk onto the floor without one. The latest mandate requires representatives and their staff to wear face coverings while in the House chamber, except when being recognized or speaking on the floor, per CNN. Those who violate the guidelines will be subject to fines.
Boebert's office denied the characterization, and claims she returned the mask "with a quick slide across the table." Still, as Forbes' Andrew Solender reports, she is only one of quite a few lawmakers who could face punishment.
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.
Separately, Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) got into it after Huffman called Donalds "selfish" for not wearing a mask.
And Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who reportedly remained maskless, made an impassioned call to adjourn out of protest, but not before accusing the House of "playing footsie with mask mandates." All but seven Republicans reportedly voted alongside him.
But wait, there's more — even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) were roped into the fun. On Tuesday, McCarthy condemned the decision to bring back masks as one not rooted in science, to which Pelosi reportedly replied, "He's such a moron."
She later clarified: "To say that wearing a mask is not based on science, I think, is not wise, and that was my comment. And that's all I'm going to say about that."
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.
-
‘Chess’feature Imperial Theatre, New York City
-
Political cartoons for November 26Cartoons Wednesday's political cartoons include a peace deal for Ukraine, constitutional oaths, and the I.R.S. explained
-
Vaccine critic quietly named CDC’s No. 2 officialSpeed Read Dr. Ralph Abraham joins another prominent vaccine critic, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
-
Congress passes bill to force release of Epstein filesSpeed Read The Justice Department will release all files from its Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation
-
Trump says he will sell F-35 jets to Saudi ArabiaSpeed Read The president plans to make several deals with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week
-
Judge blasts ‘profound’ errors in Comey caseSpeed Read ‘Government misconduct’ may necessitate dismissing the charges against the former FBI director altogether
-
Ecuador rejects push to allow US military basesSpeed Read Voters rejected a repeal of a constitutional ban on US and other foreign military bases in the country
