Politics

EXCLUSIVE: House Freedom Caucus Sends Letter To CDC Director Asking If Pelosi Ever Consulted Them Over Mask Mandate

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Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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The House Freedom Caucus sent a letter Thursday to the director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rochelle Walensky, asking her if Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi ever consulted them before extending the mask mandate and social distance protocols on the floor.

The Daily Caller first obtained the letter, which is signed by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Andy Biggs. In the letter, Biggs asks Walensky a “simple question” about Pelosi’s decision to extend the mandate.

“Did the Speaker of the House, or the Attending Physician of the House, consult with you, or anyone else at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prior to her decision on May 14, 2021 to extend the mask mandate and social distancing protocols on the House floor?”

Biggs then mentioned the May 13 CDC announcement that fully vaccinated individuals can participate in indoor and outdoor activities without wearing masks or physically distancing.

“In your own words, ‘If you are fully vaccinated, you are protected, and you can start doing the things that you stopped doing because of the pandemic,'” Biggs said in the letter.

He also mentioned a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on May 26, 2021, where Walensky dodged questions from Republican Maryland Rep. Andy Harris when he asked her if Pelosi consulted her or anyone at the CDC about the extension of the mask mandate and COVID-19 protocols.

“During a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on May 26, 2021, you repeatedly refused to directly answer Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. when asked whether the speaker, or the attending physician of the House, consulted with you, or anyone else at the CDC, before she extended COVID-19 protocols on the House floor. Failure to comply with these protocols can result in up to a $2,500 fine, even if a member has been vaccinated and is simply following the guidance of the agency you lead – the CDC,” Biggs added.

READ THE LETTER HERE:

(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers

“While Speaker Pelosi insists we follow the science and CDC guidelines, she continues running the House as if she is unaware of the science. So our ask is simple, has Pelosi consulted with the CDC or is she purely playing politics?,” Biggs told the Daily Caller after sending the letter.

A group of over thirty House Republicans sent a letter earlier in the month to Pelosi calling on her to return the House to normalcy and asked her to abide by the CDC guidelines released earlier in the day. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Republicans Call On Pelosi To Return House To Normal, End Mask Mandate After New CDC Guidelines Released)

The letter, which was first obtained by the Daily Caller, was spearheaded by Republican Ohio Rep. Bob Gibbs, signed by 33 other Republicans and called on Pelosi to return the House to normal in-person voting procedures and end mandatory mask requirements in the House.

The Daily Caller contacted Pelosi’s office to ask if she had consulted the CDC before extending the guidelines to which they said: the “Office of Attending Physician has repeatedly.”