House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Wednesday night on the floor of the House that masks should be worn in the house from now on and that the sergeant-at-arms will expel those who break the rules.
“Members and staff shall wear masks at all times in the Chamber Hall, except that members may temporarily remove the masks when recognized,” Pelosi announced, using the official term for the Chamber of the Chamber.
Pelosi is implementing stricter rules after Rep. Louis Gohmert, a Texas Republican, tested positive for the coronavirus, prompting at least one senior government official, Attorney General Bill Barr, to be tested, since it could have been exposed.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on the floor of the House Wednesday night that members would have to wear masks in the House chamber from now on, after Rep. Louie Gohmert tested positive by the coronavirus.
Representative Louis Gohmert, who is regularly seen on Capitol Hill without a mask, tested positive for the coronavirus, Politician reported for the first time. Gohmert’s case was found because he was being examined at the White House so he could travel to Texas with President Trump on Wednesday.
C-SPAN cameras captured Representative Louis Gohmert, unmasked, on Capitol Hill Tuesday outside the courtroom, where lawmakers questioned Attorney General Bill Barr for five hours. Barr will now also need to be tested for the coronavirus.
President Donald Trump is caught boarding Air Force One in Texas on Wednesday. Gohmert was supposed to accompany Trump to the state, but tested positive for coronavirus at the White House during the pre-assessment.
Attorney General Bill Barr will be examined by COVID-19 after coming into close contact with Representative Louis Gohmert during Tuesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing, which was attended by both men.
The California Democrat said members will not be able to enter the House chamber without masks. “The skins will be available at entry points for any member who forgets to bring one,” he also said.
And if lawmakers don’t listen, she said she would have the gun sergeant remove them.
“The chair considers not wearing a mask as a serious violation of decorum,” Pelosi said.
The rule applied to both members and staff.
Later on CNN, Pelosi said more rules would likely be announced Thursday about the use of masks in hallways and in House office buildings.
Politician revealed the story and reported Wednesday morning that Gohmert had tested positive at the White House during preselection for a planned trip to Texas with President Donald Trump.
Gohmert regularly refused to wear a mask and was seen on Tuesday. wandering the halls of the Capitol and in the Judiciary Committee courtroom before Barr testified without a mask on his face.
Pelosi has already established some mandates for wearing masks.
On June 16, she announced that it would enforce the requirement of the Assistant Physician in the United States Congress that House members wear masks during committee meetings.
The committee meetings are held in stricter limits than the vote on the floor of the Chamber, which has been spaced for a period of time to create more social distancing, but Pelosi will now demand masks.
It is unclear whether he will push for tighter restrictions elsewhere in the Capitol complex.
Playbook said Gohmert returned to the Rayburn House office building after testing positive to inform his staff in person of what had happened.
He also said, during a television appearance, that his brief use of masks may have contributed to his contracting the virus.
“I can’t help but wonder if by holding a mask and holding it in place, I could have put some germs, some viruses in the mask and inhaled it,” Gohmert said. ‘I do not know. I have it. We will see what happens from here.
“But the reports of my death are premature,” added the Texas legislator.
The White House evaluates people who will interact with the President by taking a sample with a nasal swab and then passing it through a point-of-care test from Abbott Laboratories, among others, that can provide results in less than 15 minutes.
The Texas Republican told CNN last month that he was not wearing a mask because he was regularly tested for COVID-19.
‘But I’m still being tested and I don’t have it. So I’m not afraid of you, ” Gohmert told the reporter, who had mentioned to the Texas legislator that asymptomatic people may be carrying the coronavirus.
Gohmert also told the network that if he contacted the virus, he would mask himself.
‘I do not have the coronavirus, it turns out that until yesterday I never had it. But if I understand, you will never see me without a mask, ” he said.
A Gohmert staff member wrote in the Politico Playbook newsletter after the news was released to reporters that Gohmert ‘requires all staff to be in the office, including three interns, so that “we can be an example to Americans about how to open safely. ” ‘
The aide also suggested to reporters: “When probing the office, you may want to ask how often people were reprimanded for wearing masks.”
Now that he has tested positive, Gohmert will be recommended to be quarantined for at least 14 days and will not be able to return to Capitol Hill until he has twice tested negative for the virus.
Other lawmakers who have tested positive for the virus include Republican Senator Rand Paul and Republican Representatives Mario Diaz Balart of Florida, Neal Dunn of Florida, Morgan Griffith of Virginia, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Tom Rice of South Carolina.
Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams also tested positive in March.
At work, Republicans have been more reluctant to the masks, and Judicial Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler rebuked his fellow Republicans for removing the masks during Tuesday’s tense hearing with Barr, which Gohmert attended.
Reuters reported Wednesday that Barr will be examined by COVID-19, as he testified before the Judiciary Committee for five hours, and therefore contacted Gohmert.
Nadler told a Republican lawmaker that drinking coffee was not an excuse to remove the mask while in the committee room.
“It is not allowed,” Nadler said, hitting his hammer.
His comments were not directed at Gohmert during that time.
Nadler sent Gohmert some good wishes on Wednesday.
‘I wish to wish @RepLouisGohmert a full and speedy recovery. When people refuse to take the necessary precautions, it puts everyone at risk. I have regularly instructed all members to wear their masks and I hope it will be a lesson from all my colleagues, ” Nadler tweeted.
However, Gohmert was seen outside the committee room without a mask on Tuesday.
“Gohmert should be quarantined right now,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat. “He entered the room without a mask about … totally irresponsible behavior,” Hoyer told C-SPAN.
Hoyer also said the leadership should reconsider the evidence from members of Congress.
Initially, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not accept offers to use rapid test technologies due to a shortage of COVID-19 tests across the country.
White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, a former Republican member of Congress, told reporters on the hill on Wednesday that he had spoken to Gohmert.
‘He’s doing fine. He is asymptomatic. I think he’s worried like everyone else, but he’s fine. ”
Meadows also said Gohmert is in quarantine.
‘Oh yes, yes,’ said the chief of staff.
Rep. Kay Granger, another Republican from Texas, announced Wednesday afternoon that she would quarantine after sitting next to Gohmert on a flight Sunday.
Trump visited Texas for the day to raise funds for his reelection campaign and tour an oil rig.
It is customary for the president to invite political allies from where he is traveling to bring Air Force One together with him to a state.
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