'Come and get me': Defiant Republicans react to 'insane' orders for Capitol Police to arrest House staff who refuse to comply with mask mandate



Members of Congress received a bulletin from Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger, which declared that face masks must be worn "at all times" on the House side of the Capitol complex. The new mask mandate states that everyone must wear face masks starting Thursday, even those who are fully vaccinated. The letter states that Capitol staff and visitors can be arrested for not wearing a mask.

The bulletin noted the decision for mandatory masks was based on the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that recommends Americans wear masks indoors, even if they are fully vaccinated.

"The Office of Attending Physician (OAP) advised that Congress follow the CDC's guidance to require mask wearing in interior spaces to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection," the Capitol Police bulletin said. "Therefore, effective immediately, to promote the good health and well-being of our employees, all USCP personnel must wear a mask at all times when in interior spaces throughout the Capitol Grounds."

"In addition, masks are required for all individuals on site, and social distancing guidelines are to be followed," the letter to lawmakers stated.

Manger informed Congress members that the "Capitol Division shall enforce this mask policy on all staff and visitors" in the House side of the Capitol building.

"If a visitor or staff member fails to wear a mask after a request is made to do so, the visitor or staff shall be denied entry to the House Office Buildings or House-side of the U.S. Capitol," the bulletin said. "Any person who fails to either comply or leave the premises after being asked to do so would be subject to an arrest for Unlawful Entry."

The new Capitol rules declared, "If a staffer, who is accompanying a Member, refuses to wear a mask, that refusal should be noted and reported to a supervisor who will, in turn, refer the matter to the House Sergeant at Arms."

The memo noted that the mask mandate applies to Congress members, but "officers should not arrest any Member for failure to wear a mask or to comply with the mask mandate." Instead, any lawmaker who "fails to comply with a request to wear a mask should be reported to the House Sergeant at Arms' office."

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) posted a copy of the memo with the caption: "In today's edition of Pelosi's abuse of power, Capitol Police have been directed to arrest staff and visitors to comply with her mask mandate for vaccinated individuals. For Members, they advise not arresting but 'reporting Members to SAA for their failure to comply.'"

In today’s edition of Pelosi’s abuse of power, Capitol Police have been directed to arrest staff and visitors to co… https://t.co/U1QDYNISJ9

— Congresswoman Kat Cammack (@RepKatCammack) 1627562712.0

Republican lawmakers were shocked and rankled by the mask order and took to Twitter to voice their displeasure with the new mask mandate that applies to even the fully vaccinated.

  • Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.): "I have no words. Actually, I do this is an extreme power grab."
  • Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.): "To be clear: Pelosi is directing police to ARREST vaccinated people who aren't wearing masks. This isn't about science—it's about power and control."
  • Rep Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.): "This is insanity. Threatening arrest for not wearing a mask is unlawful and tyrannical!"
  • Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.): "Here are the facts, @SpeakerPelosi: 85% of House Members are vaccinated. 70% of the Congressional workforce is vaccinated. Transmission rate on the Hill is .5%. Senate has no mask mandate. Pelosi's political theater is only aimed at distracting from her radical agenda."
  • Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.): "Authoritarian @SpeakerPelosi strikes again."
  • Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.): "You've lost your mind, @SpeakerPelosi. This isn't your House, it's the PEOPLE'S HOUSE."
  • Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.): "By order of Nancy Pelosi, Democrats in Congress are using the hardworking men and women of the Capitol Police to enforce their dangerous and politicized mask mandates. Arresting staffers who believe in science is absurd."
  • Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah): "Speaker Pelosi's draconian behavior isn't even based on credible science. This isn't about our well-being. This is about politics and power."
  • Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.): "This is so out of control. Pelosi is massively drunk on power, obsessed with control, and hypocritical and partisan beyond belief. This isn't just some mask mandate either. The enforcement measures are absurd. *There are now just 27 COVID-19 patients in ALL DC hospitals."
  • Rep. Fred Keller (R-Pa.): "Meanwhile, Pelosi is silent on the COVID-positive Texas Democrats who came to D.C. and infected others."
  • Rep. Jerry Carl (R-Ala.): "This is a ridiculous abuse of power by Nancy Pelosi. It's the People's House, NOT Pelosi's House!"
  • Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.): "In Biden-Pelosi's America the maskless are arrested while the looters, shoplifters, and border crossers go free."
  • Oversight Committee Republicans: "Vaccinated, law abiding Americans: arrest them. Unvaccinated, illegal border crosses bringing COVID into America's interior: here's a plane ticket."

There were Republican representatives who flagrantly said they would not comply with the mask mandate in the Capitol Building.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has been an outspoken critic of mask and vaccine mandates, dared Capitol Police to arrest his "entire staff."

"This is INSANE. Might as well come into my office and arrest my entire staff. We are not wearing masks," Massie tweeted. "I support the Capitol Hill Police, but the Chief of Police made a mistake here. The physician and the chief of police don't have this authority."

A defiant Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) also challenged Pelosi by proclaiming, "Nancy Pelosi has lost her damn mind, arresting staff and visitors for not wearing masks? This is the People's House, not her House. Let me make it easy for you, Speaker Pelosi, my office, and my visitors won't comply — have an issue with that? Come see me."

Rep. Barry Moore (R-Ala.) simply said, "Nope. #IWillNotComply."

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) posted a video on Twitter with the caption: "Madam Speaker, your insane power grab is showing. Today I'm not wearing a mask outside of the chamber b/c I follow science — not Pelosi. Come and get me."

Madam Speaker, your insane power grab is showing. Today I’m not wearing a mask outside of the chamber b/c I follow… https://t.co/eTr1HZWB5S

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) 1627566835.0

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace's home vandalized with anarchist messages



Police in Charleston, South Carolina, are investigating after U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Mace's home and property at Daniel Island was vandalized with graffiti on Memorial Day.

"In the early morning hours of Memorial Day, my home, where I'm raising my two children, was vandalized with Antifa symbols and profanity," Mace, a Republican, tweeted Tuesday morning.

"Although my kids and I are thankfully fine, these criminal acts are unacceptable no matter your politics," she said.

Mace shared photos of her house, walkway, and sidewalk defaced with anarchist symbols and slogans.

In the early morning hours of Memorial Day, my home, where I’m raising my two children, was vandalized with Antifa… https://t.co/lo7pWGZ56M

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) 1622548349.0

"All politicians are bastards," one message said, a riff on the "All cops are bastards" slogan popular with anarchists and anti-authoritarian protesters.

"No gods no masters," another message said.

"Pass the PRO Act," another one stated, referring to a Democratic bill that would strengthen labor unions by overriding state right-to-work laws.

Mace thanked law enforcement for investigating the act of vandalism and noted this is the second time her home was targeted "in the last few months."

Last year, during her campaign for Congress, an unknown person scratched an expletive into her car door.

"There is a significant difference between nonviolent protests and criminal acts of intimidation and vandalism," she said. "I'm concerned for my neighbors who've been impacted by this appalling criminal behavior."

"I also want to take a moment to thank those same neighbors; so many have reached out to offer their assistance and support. I cannot thank the Charleston community enough," she continued.

"As I've had time to digest what has happened over the last 24 hours, I also wanted to take a moment to urge people to think about their words and their actions. It's not just social media, but our words impact real people and impact real lives. We should take it down a notch."

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) shared Mace's tweet thread on Tuesday. "Acts of vandalism and hate are simply unacceptable and have no place in our society," he said.

Charleston police are collecting camera footage from around the neighborhood to identify suspects for their investigation, WCIV-TV reported.

Police power-washed the graffiti Monday morning, but Mace told the news station that at least some of her home will need to be repainted.

"It makes me incredibly sad. I'm a Mom, I have two kids in middle school who live here at this house with me. No family should ever be treated this way," she said.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard passes on COVID-19 vaccine, says elderly Americans should take priority



Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) has decided to hold off on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine currently being administered to many of her fellow members in Congress, instead vowing to refuse it until elderly Americans are able to receive the shot.

The 39-year-old former Democratic presidential candidate — known for often defying her party — also ripped the Centers for Disease Control for prioritizing healthy "essential workers" over the more vulnerable older population.

What are the details?

"Heartless, arrogant, unelected CDC bureaucrats have decided that the lives of elderly Americans don't count," Gabbard tweeted Monday. "They're recommending 100 million 'essential workers' (i.e. healthy people working at liquor stores or phone companies) can get the vaccine before our grandparents."

"This is immoral and bad health policy," she said, declaring, "I had planned to get the vaccine but will now stand in solidarity with our seniors by not doing so until THEY can. I urge my colleagues who are under 65 and healthy to join me."

This is immoral and bad health policy.I had planned to get the vaccine but will now stand in solidarity with our… https://t.co/XA4JanZlYz
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@Tulsi Gabbard 🌺)1608560729.0

The Hill reported that "Gabbard's tweet conflated essential workers — those who were allowed to continue reporting to work during stay-at-home orders — with first responders. The CDC put first responders alongside 'high-risk health workers' for early access to the vaccine."

In recent days, many leaders in Washington, D.C., have received the newly approved vaccines as part of a "continuity of governance" plan, the New York Post reported. Several members of Congress, the Trump administration, and President-elect Joe Biden have taken the shots in public in an effort to build public confidence in the shots.

What else?

But Gabbard is not alone in her views that members of Congress should not be among the first in line. Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz replied on Twitter, "I'm with you Tulsi!"

The youngest member of Congress, 31-year-old Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), received her jab over the weekend and publicized it on social media, while one of the far-left representative's closest allies, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) — whose father died from COVID-19 — condemned the decision for D.C. politicians to receive the shots ahead of other Americans.

Omar tweeted that it would "make sense" if the vaccine was administered prioritizing people by age, but that "unfortunately it's of importance and its (sic) shameful."

"We are not more important then (sic) frontline workers, teachers etc. who are making sacrifices everyday," she continued. "Which is why I won't take it. People who need it most, should get it. Full stop."

.@NancyMace and @IlhanMN will probably rarely agree on anything but both say members of Congress shouldn't be getti… https://t.co/UhcjO68rDg
— Alex Thompson (@Alex Thompson)1608568111.0