Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he will no longer wear a mask in the Capitol building, CNN reported Wednesday.
Cruz said he believed that masks are no longer necessary, as lawmakers and aides have been vaccinated. “At this point I’ve been vaccinated. Everybody working in the Senate has been vaccinated,” Cruz said, according to CNN.
The House of Representatives implemented a mask mandate, meaning members are subject to a fine if they don’t wear a mask on the House floor. However, the Senate does not have a mask requirement, CNN reported. (RELATED: Ted Cruz Denies Reporter’s Request To Wear Mask, Says He’s Been Vaccinated And They Can ‘Step Away’ If They Like)
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, Cruz criticized mask mandates, complaining that they would continue for “the next 300 years,” CNN reported.
The Biden Admin has rolled out their new national mandate that—after every person in America has been vaccinated—we all must wear iron masks…forever. pic.twitter.com/PDG1RIhHad
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 14, 2021
Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, the first U.S. senator to contract the disease, has also refused to wear a mask, arguing that his antibodies are sufficient, according to CNN. Paul has been an outspoken critic of Dr. Anthony Fauci and mask mandates.
Fauci continues to ignore 100 years of vaccine science.
His only real theme is “do what I say” even when it makes no sense.
If you’ve recovered or been vaccinated – go about your life. Eat, drink, work, open the schools.
Enough with the petty tyrants! https://t.co/HiZR9JRuTI
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) April 12, 2021
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone still wear masks, even those who have been vaccinated. The CDC also states that only fully vaccinated people can meet with each other indoors without masks, but they still need to follow existing public guidelines, as previously reported.
