Maskless Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi greeted dozens of her fellow maskless Democrats at the White House on Thursday just two days after she fined three Republicans for being in the House of Representatives without face coverings.
Pelosi was one of the many Democrat legislators and officials who attended a crowded ceremony in the East Room of the White House to watch President Joe Biden sign the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. In a video of the event, Pelosi is seen shaking hands and brushing shoulders with multiple people in what looks like a pre-pandemic scene.
“Maskless hugs and handshakes are back in at the White House,” The Recount captioned the video.
Maskless hugs and handshakes are back in at the White House. pic.twitter.com/KWtgZ68r4v
— The Recount (@therecount) May 20, 2021
Yet the House Speaker was quick to fine Reps. Brian Mast of Florida, Beth Van Duyne of Texas, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa $500 each after they refused to wear a mask in the lower chamber on Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines for people vaccinated against COVID-19, acknowledging that vaccination provides a strong immune response to COVID and affirming they don’t need masks or social distancing. Instead of updating House guidelines to reflect those recommendations, however, Pelosi continues to require masking in the House.
Pelosi’s hypocrisy on masks is nothing new. In September of last year, security footage showed Pelosi attending an indoor hair appointment in San Francisco without a mask even though the city’s lockdown orders prohibited inside activities, especially without face coverings. Pelosi’s staff went on to claim that “the speaker always wears a mask and complies with local COVID requirements” but the speaker later acknowledged her actions only to blame the small business owner, a single mother of two, who gave her the blowout.
Source: The Federalist
