The Great Mask Wars
The glorious cause – refusing to wear masks during a pandemic. Our ancestors died for the cause! Salute the flag! Allons enfants de la patrie! Etc.
A group of House Republicans revolted over their chamber’s mask rules on Tuesday, the latest sign of tensions boiling over as Congress wrestles with how and when to return to pre-pandemic routines.
Around a dozen Republicans refused to wear masks during the evening vote series and strategically stood at the well of the chamber, which appears on the C-SPAN cameras, and seemed to encourage other members to join in.
…
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) snapped a selfie with a few other maskless members and posted it to social media. Taking pictures on the House floor is against longstanding rules due to security concerns.
Well that’s MJT for ya – rules are for other people, mostly Democrats.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who was standing nearby, could also be heard shouting to another member in jest: I can’t “hear” you with your mask on. Massie was one of the lawmakers who helped organize the protest, sources said.
He composed ever such a witty tweet about it.
Very grown-up and professional and sensible.
The CDC says it’s ok to do without masks indoors if everyone is vaccinated, so why is Pelosi being such a poopy-head about it? Because not everyone is vaccinated, or at least known to be vaccinated. The Rs are being cute.
Pelosi and Democrats have said lawmakers could resume normal life more quickly if more of their Republican colleagues got vaccinated.Democrats say they feel uncomfortable being in closed-door settings without facial coverings until they know more GOP lawmakers have gotten the shot.
Roughly 75 percent of the House has been vaccinated, according to estimates from the Capitol physician that McCarthy has cited. All 219 Democrats reported to CNN that they’re vaccinated, but only 95 out of 212 Republicans reported being vaccinated, while 112 did not respond to the survey.
There’s nothing particularly “left” about getting vaccinated or “right” about refusing to get vaccinated. This nonsense is just Conflict Theater, aka the Republicans being childish tools like their hero the Queens Bloviator.
The CDC also says that vaccinated people are in no real danger from being around unvaccinated people, which is part of why it changed its guidance. We really are at the point where the unvaccinated are essentially only putting each other at risk.
I think the GOP members are correct that the House rule should be changed, though of course being the GOP, they’re going about making that point in the douchiest way possible, and until the rule is changed they ought to abide by it.
Yes but if the unvaccinated are putting each other at risk then surely that’s a reason to continue wearing masks, isn’t it? Pelosi shouldn’t be telling them “Ok then infect each other, see if I care.” Right?
I’m struggling to see the downside of that policy.
I’m not making a joke or being nasty. I literally do not care if GOP members of Congress who have refused vaccination infect each other. From a perspective of human rights, I fully support their right to do stupid things that only hurt themselves.
Part of me hopes that Darwin will prevail and the Republicans will die of COVID. See, e.g. https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/13/science/no-time-for-bullies-baboons-retool-their-culture.html
Part of me worries that the infection will persist in the general population, in which case it is only a matter of time until I am exposed, and then it’s just a crap shoot whether I’m in the [90%, 95%, 99%–pick your number] of the population that is protected by the vaccine, and not the [10%, 5%, 1%] that is not.
Part of me thinks we should pursue a low-body-count policy, which means doing whatever it takes to persuade people to wear masks and get vaccinated. Even Republicans.
@OB #2
Alas, Pelosi is way more polite than I am.
Yup, I’m in the fuck’em camp, there’s no downside.
Wellll then just look at it from the practical, operational point of view. Stuff won’t get done, and with the Dems just barely in the majority, that will mean good stuff won’t get done.
I doubt it would make much difference in terms of ability to conduct business. A simple majority constitutes a quorum in the House, so even if every unvaccinated Republican was hospitalized, it wouldn’t prevent business from being done.
And I would bet that a substantial number of those 112 members who declined to state whether they are vaccinated did in fact get vaccinated. Some of the unvaccinated ones probably have natural immunity because they’ve been stupid (or unlucky) throughout the pandemic. And it’s not as though removing the masks would suddenly cause all of the remaining infection targets to suddenly get serious cases.
Now I gather that Congress does to some extent operate on some courtesies still, so I suppose it’s possible that some committee hearings might get rescheduled out of courtesy if a couple of members get sick — but Pelosi could certainly declare that part of the deal for rescinding the mask mandate is that no such courtesies will be extended for unvaccinated members who get COVID. Assuming that’s even a thing that happens in the House these days.
Honestly, I don’t believe that Pelosi is maintaining the rule to protect the health of stubborn GOPers. I think she and/or much of her caucus is simply in that group of people who just don’t feel comfortable around unmasked people no matter what the CDC says.
Just introduce the virus to the House chamber 7-10 days before the next major session of votes?