Bay Area Congressmen Support Fining Colleagues Who Don't Wear a Mask

January 13, 2021

Two Bay Area congressmen are backing a House rule change to fine colleagues who fail to wear a mask on the House floor. The House Tuesday approved a $500 fine for members who don't wear a mask and a $2,500 fine for a second violation.

Democratic representatives are in an uproar after three members from their caucus tested positive for COVID-19 within 24 hours of being locked down for hours in a crowded room during last week’s Capitol siege. During the attack, several GOP members refused masks offered to them.

South Bay Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna was not sheltering in the room, but he says lawmakers should face consequences for endangering colleagues.

"You know if I go onto the House floor and take a photograph, which is prohibited, I would be fined," Khanna said. "So at a minimum I think there should be fines for not following the House rules of having a mask, (which) is what the speaker has said when you’re in the Capitol."

Marin Congressman Jared Huffman also supports the fines.

"You shouldn’t have to go to the point of passing legislation or special rules to fine members," Huffman said. "People ought to have enough decency in a deadly pandemic to just prevent others from being harmed. But with this crowd you can’t take basic decency for granted.”

One of the infected House members, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, said of the incident that “several Republicans not only cruelly refused to wear a mask but recklessly mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one.”

Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey and Brad Schneider of Illinois were the others who announced positive tests after their time in the room.


Source: KQED