Rep. Pramila Jayapal
WASHINGTON — “Only hours after President Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic—creating a superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
The congresswoman received a positive COVID-19 test result after being locked down in a secured room at the U.S. Capitol after the Jan. 6 attack.
“The duration in the room was multiple hours and several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one,” Jayapal said. She has been in quarantine since that incident.
She is calling for “serious fines” to be levied on every single Congress member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol. “Additionally, any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be immediately removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms. This is not a joke. Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy.”