Sherrod Brown publicly shames Rand Paul for not wearing a mask on the Senate floor


Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is not afraid to enforce Congress' mask mandate — and encourage some basic common sense.
Continuing his reputation for calling out his colleagues for not wearing masks, Brown on Thursday turned his attention to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). When Paul made a request to keep a vote to just 10 minutes, Brown responded with an unrelated objection: "I would like to ask Senator Paul, in front of everybody, to start wearing a mask on the Senate floor like the entire staff does all the time." "I wish Senator Paul would show the respect to his colleagues to wear a mask," he continued.
Brown also got into a dispute with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) after asking the senator to put on a mask back in November. Video of that led Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to call Brown an "ass" for demanding Sullivan wear a mask "when nobody is remotely near him" — even though a Senate staffer's head is clearly visible in front of Sullivan in video of the incident.
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.
Since Brown's brush with Sullivan, President Biden has mandated masks be worn on all federal property, including the Capitol building.
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
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Why are Americans using ‘buy now, pay later’ apps to buy groceries?
Today's Big Question A 'layaway program, but reversed'
-
Trump moves to gut PBS and NPR in latest salvo against the media
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The president's executive order targeting two of the nation's largest public broadcasters comes as the White House seeks to radically reframe how Americans get their news
-
Sea lion proves animals can keep a beat
speed read A sea lion named Ronan beat a group of college students in a rhythmic dance-off, says new study
-
Trump judge bars deportations under 1798 law
speed read A Trump appointee has ruled that the president's use of a wartime act for deportations is illegal
-
Trump ousts Waltz as NSA, taps him for UN role
speed read President Donald Trump removed Mike Waltz as national security adviser and nominated him as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
-
Trump blames Biden for tariffs-linked contraction
speed read The US economy shrank 0.3% in the first three months of 2025, the Commerce Department reported
-
Trump says he could bring back Ábgego García but won't
Speed Read At a rally to mark his 100th day in office, the president doubled down on his unpopular immigration and economic policies
-
Canada's Liberals, Carney win national election
Speed Read The party of Prime Minister Mark Carney beat Conservative Pierre Poilievre thanks in part to Trump's trade war
-
Trump's 100-day approval ratings at historic low
Speed Read Americans appear to be wary of Trump's sweeping tariffs and handling of the economy
-
Judge blocks key part of Trump's elections overhaul
Speed Read Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's decision temporarily bars federal officials from requiring Americans to prove they are citizens to register to vote
-
Hegseth's chief of staff joins Pentagon exodus
Speed Read Joe Kasper has stepped down, leaving the Defense Secretary 'increasingly isolated'