A small group of House GOP lawmakers are rebelling against Speaker Pelosi’s draconian mask mandate, risking large daily fines for refusing to wear the face coverings on the House floor.
The rules House Democrats put in place in January say that members are to be fined $500 on a first offense and $2,500 for a second offense if they do not wear a mask.
According to USA Today, three Republicans have already been issued $500 fines for defying the mask rules: Reps. Brian Mast of Florida, Beth Van Duyne of Texas, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa.
Mast, who lost both of his legs and an index finger while serving as an Army explosive ordnance disposal technician in Afghanistan in 2010, has led the rebellion against the Democrats’ mask mandate. The congressman pointed out on Twitter that he was following CDC guidelines, which say fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask indoors or outdoors.
I have been fined $500 by @SpeakerPelosi for following CDC guidance.
This was never about science. It has always been about power.
— Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) May 19, 2021
Seven other Republicans have reportedly been issued warnings: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Chip Roy of Texas, Bob Good of Virginia, Mary Miller of Illinois, and Louie Gohmert of Texas.
Additionally, Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) was included in a group photo tweeted out by MTG, which shows eight House Republicans who are bucking the Democrats’ mask mandate.
Proud to join these Patriots for a peaceful protest on the House floor against mask mandates!#FreeYourFace😁 pic.twitter.com/NSgC5Hfj4E
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 18, 2021
If the Republican lawmakers continue to defy the Democrats’ rules, they could be hit with the exorbitant fines.
According to CNN, all 219 House Democrats say they have received the Covid-19 vaccination, while only 97 of the 211 Republicans say they have received the vaccine. However, 109 Republican offices refused to respond to CNN’s queries about the members’ “vaccination status.”
Taylor-Greene made her position on masks clear in a Twitter thread, Wednesday.
“SpeakerPelosi cannot force any member of congress or staff or any citizen or child of the U.S. to take a vaccine,” MTG wrote. “Especially vaccines that are NOT even FDA approved, which #Covid Vax are NOT. Vax records, along with ALL medical records are private due to HIPPA (sic) rights.”
.@SpeakerPelosi cannot force any member of congress or staff or any citizen or child of the U.S. to take a vaccine.
Especially vaccines that are NOT even FDA approved, which #Covid Vax are NOT.
Vax records, along with ALL medical records are private due to HIPPA rights.
Cont’d
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 19, 2021
MTG went on to blast Pelosi for running an “unethical,” “oppressive” and “tyrannical” work environment.
I stand with all Americans especially the children who are being forced against their will to wear masks or take an experimental vaccine.
If we don’t stand now against these tyrannical aggressions, then we will be forced to our knees and unable to stand later.
Cont’d..
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 19, 2021
Save America Stop Socialism!
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 19, 2021
A staff member of the House sergeant-at-arms reportedly approached Mast on Wednesday and told him to put on his mask. When Mast refused, several of the others followed suit.
At one point, when several of the maskless members had congregated near the front of the chamber, Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., approached them and confronted Massie about not wearing a mask. Massie could be heard responding: “I can’t hear you” with the mask.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., vice chair of the Committee on House Administration, then approached the group and spoke with Massie, Boebert and Greene for an extended, heated conversation. Raskin then walked away, shaking his head.
When asked what they spoken about, Raskin told USA TODAY he was telling the group of Republicans that “100% of the Democrats have been vaccinated so the only reason we can’t take our masks off on the floor is because of them.”
Raskin said the Republicans had responded they “were having a civil disobedience protest” to which he sarcastically compared them to “21st century Freedom Riders.”
The Republicans are doing “the House a disservice, the country a disservice. I think they’d be sending a much stronger message if they got vaccinated. If all of us were vaccinated, we can all take our masks off. That would be the message,” Raskin added.
Raskin later told USA TODAY, “I’m not interested in them getting fined. I’m interested in them getting vaccinated.”
Afterward, Mast told reporters that it was the “best $500 I ever spent.” The group wouldn’t elaborate on whether they were all vaccinated.
POLITICO reported that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is planning a privileged motion on the mask rules Wednesday.
Mast told Newsmax on Wednesday that he didn’t blame the House sergeant-at-arms for fining him because he was only doing Pelosi’s bidding.
“They didn’t want to hammer me on this but Pelosi is making them do this,” the Florida congressman said, adding that he told them that he’s “not wearing a mask anymore and that’s just it.”
Mast also told Newsmax that Democrats like Raskin had taunted him and the other GOP mask refuseniks, telling them that they should be “ashamed” of themselves.
“They wanted to get in our face for taking our masks off but they didn’t really want to have a real discussion about it because the facts really weren’t on their side. The CDC said if you’re vaccinated, go ahead and take off your mask,” he explained.
“This goes to something way larger than that, Mast continued, pointing out that local governments across the country have put in place policies forcing employees to get vaccinated or they can no longer be employed. He also decried the infringement on a person’s privacy when their told to share personal health information regarding their vaccination status, and the push to vaccinate children with an experimental vaccine.
“Third person in line to the presidency fundamentally believes that if you don’t get vaccinated and don’t wear a mask, then she should get to fine you as an American,” Mast said. “This has far-reaching ripples across the breadth of this country. To just fall in line to with what Pelosi wants us to do, and we can’t stand for that.”