Nancy Pelosi demands house members to wear face masks while inside the chamber in order to be recognized.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Dec. 15 announced in Capitol Hill that she is mandating everyone in the chamber to wear face masks. She announced that as a part of the update to the precious social distancing policies she implemented and to emphasize the importance of safe practices during proceedings, members will not be recognized if they do not comply with the order.
In her statement on the House floor, Pelosi clarified that the chamber will only recognize the house members who will observe wearing face masks while inside the building. The house will withdraw the recognition once a member removes his or her mask at any point.
"To be clear, members will not be recognized unless they are wearing a mask and recognition will be withdrawn if they remove the mask while speaking," said Pelosi.
Pelosi clarified that there will be no exemption with the mandate, whether they may be hill staffers of representative, they must all wear their face masks while doing transactions inside Capitol Hill. The rule applies even when the people are just walking in the hallway, doing simple chats with colleagues, or delivering a speech on the floor.
"Accordingly, masks will now be required at all times in the hall of the House without exception, including while members are under-recognition," the speaker announced, One America News reported.
Back in July, the house speaker implemented a similar rule that she said would ensure the safety of everyone in the proceedings during the coronavirus pandemic. She said the house would implement a serious breach of decorum to everyone who will be caught not wearing a face mask.
However, members are allowed to remove their masks when doing their speech back then. The latest implementation is just an update to the house speaker's previous order.
Members are seeing the rule implemented as the house speaker urged all Democrats to come in person to the assembly in January. The house is set to vote and elect a new speaker in 2021.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, congresswoman-elect of Georgia's 14th District is one among a number of representatives who opposed the speaker's mandate. She described the rule as an oppressive violation of her rights.
In a Twitter post, the congresswoman expressed her disapproval of the newly imposed rule.
Is this the Marjorie Mask Mandate, @SpeakerPelosi?
An oppressive violation of my rights. #MyBodyMyChoice https://t.co/UKUqCAyznl
"” Marjorie Taylor Greene
