
Audio By Carbonatix
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) tested positive for the coronavirus on Monday after locking down with Republican colleagues who refused to wear masks during the Capitol riot last week.
“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,” Jayapal said in a statement.
Jayapal’s office said she was locked down for several hours with Republicans who “not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one.”
Jayapal called for members of Congress who refuse to wear a mask in the Capitol to face “serious fines” and be removed from the House 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,” she said.
At least nine Republican lawmakers refused to wear mask while in lockdown, HuffPost’s Amanda Terkel reports.
Jayapal is the second lawmaker to test positive since the Capitol riot. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) also tested positive Monday, saying in a statement that she believes she was exposed while locking down in the Capitol with maskless colleagues.
A third lawmaker, Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), said Wednesday that he’d tested positive as well.
The attending physician to members of Congress advised lawmakers and Capitol staff to get tested for the coronavirus after the riots on Jan. 6, since many were forced to hide in close proximity to one another.
Capitol Hill has largely avoided superspreader events, but the White House has had several, including an event in late September where President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and others were likely infected.
Latest Stories
-
EOCO defends probe into Kwamigah-Atokple
31 seconds -
Fuel tanker accident at Breku Forest spills thousands of litres of diesel
7 minutes -
IEAG backs Publican AI system after concerns addressed
9 minutes -
No new taxes or charges- GRA boss assures importers over rollout of Publican AI system
10 minutes -
Egypt goalkeeper banned for striking referee
11 minutes -
Police restore calm following clashes between Asisiriwa and Brodekwano
12 minutes -
Education sector job seekers must submit certificates for verification – GTEC
13 minutes -
Volta Lake accident highlights lax safety regulations — Savannah Regional Minister
14 minutes -
UEW Vice-Chancellor calls for rethink of Ghana’s education system at 2026 Public Lecture
20 minutes -
Health expert urges enough sleep, rest to control hypertension
21 minutes -
Foreign Affairs Ministry alerts travellers as EU rolls out new biometric Entry/Exit System
23 minutes -
Publican AI system doesn’t determine values, it flags suspicious transactions – GRA Boss
33 minutes -
Balancing the scales: McDan Aviation, E&P, and politics of opportunity in Ghana’s economy
37 minutes -
GRA credits Publican AI system for exposing GH¢11bn port leakages
40 minutes -
Owabi, Barekese water plants face shutdown threat over pollution and power outages
48 minutes