Nation
Pelosi considering banning unmasked, unvaccinated GOP Reps from House floor
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is mulling over a ban on unmasked and unvaccinated representatives from the House floor, she said in a press conference last week.
Pelosi was responding to a question about certain GOP reps refusing to wear masks on the floor after the Centers for Disease Control said vaccinated individuals do not need to wear masks indoors.
The Representatives include Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Georgia, and Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina.
“We have to wait for them to be vaccinated because they are selfishly [an] endangerment to other people, including staff people here,” Pelosi said. “An honor system as to whether somebody’s been vaccinated? Do you want them breathing in your face on the strength of their honor?”
She said it is possible that these Republicans will be told to stay away.
“We could come to a place where we say, ‘If you don’t want to wear a mask and you don’t want to—if you’re not vaccinated, don’t even come to the floor. We have facilities up above in the gallery where people can come to vote,” she added.
The Epoch Times reported that masks must be worn except for when one is speaking.
“This is about science and governance,” Pelosi said. “We have to make sure that the House of Representatives chamber is not a petri dish because of the selfishness of some not to be vaccinated because it requires us to wear a mask.”
Conservatives within the House GOP are taking on party leaders by engaging in an unprecedented blockade, effectively paralyzing the chamber’s legislative business. The standoff began after a typically routine procedural vote failed on Tuesday, prompting conservatives to seize control of the floor.
At the center of the dispute is the debt limit deal struck between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden. Some conservatives feel that the procedures used to pass the deal in the House last week did not align with the agreement they had reached with McCarthy. This agreement granted conservatives more influence over decision-making and the operational procedures involved in moving the bill forward, and they now accuse leadership of violating these commitments.
The tension escalated when Freedom Caucus members and their allies joined forces with Democrats in voting against a rule that would have allowed several bills, including two addressing the Biden administration’s gas stove limitations, to reach the House floor. This marked the first time in two decades that a rules vote had failed.
Representative Matt Gaetz voiced his frustration, expressing concern that the fundamental commitments made to secure McCarthy’s speakership had been disregarded due to the debt limit deal. Gaetz also criticized the punishment meted out to Representative Andrew Clyde for his stance against the rule that allowed the debt limit increase.
According to reports from Fox News, Gaetz said, “I am very aggrieved at the punishment that was delivered to my colleague Andrew Clyde on his bill regarding pistol braces… for him standing with us and the votes we took against the rule that allowed the debt limit to be increased.”
Gaetz pledged to bring the House floor to a grinding halt, anticipating a prolonged shutdown.
“We took down the rule because we’re frustrated at the way this place is operating,” stated Rep. Gaetz. “We’re concerned that the fundamental commitments that allowed Kevin McCarthy to assume the speakership have been violated as a consequence of the debt limit deal,” he added.
The era of the Imperial Speakership is OVER!
I’m done with their failure theater. https://t.co/Ceovz4C03U pic.twitter.com/7jNJpfRz4Z
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) June 6, 2023
The conservatives’ grievances extend beyond the procedural vote, with accusations that McCarthy has deviated from the undisclosed agreement made in January. Specific concessions that the dissident Republicans seek from McCarthy remain undisclosed, but they emphasize the need to restore unity and renegotiate their role within the party.
While McCarthy met with members of the Freedom Caucus, little progress was reported, and it remains uncertain if any votes will take place on the following day. The group insists that the restoration of a fair and inclusive process is essential to rectify the perceived failures of the previous week.
As the GOP leadership grapples with the repercussions of this internal standoff, the Republican majority’s effectiveness hangs in the balance. The path forward hinges on whether leadership is willing to reciprocate and address the concerns of the the dissenting group within the conservative ranks, ultimately determining the future of the party’s legislative agenda.
Follow Alexander Carter on Twitter @AlexCarterDC for more!
-
Featured6 days agoDHS Alert: suspected terrorist on southwest border poses ‘imminent’ national security threat to U.S.
-
Healthcare6 days agoOklahoma Mother Sues School District After Alleged Assault by Trans Student
-
China6 days agoTreasury Department sanctions Chinese companies, Mexican individuals as ‘enablers’ to fentanyl crisis
-
Economy2 days agoNew York City Mayor Eric Adams Proposes Housing Asylum Seekers in Private Homes
