The Capitol attending physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, lifted the House of Representatives’ mandatory mask mandate for fully vaccinated members Friday.
“The guideline document reflects that fully vaccinated individuals may discontinue mask wear and 6-foot social distance separations in most situations consistent with the CDC revision regarding fully vaccinated individuals of May 13, 2021,” the updated guidelines said.
The mask wearing and social distancing requirements still apply to unvaccinated individuals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its COVID-19 guidelines May 13, exempting fully vaccinated people from wearing masks.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi kept the House’s mask mandate in place for all representatives due to nearly a quarter of House members being unvaccinated. (RELATED: Republican Rep. Appeals $500 Pelosi Fine For Not Wearing A Mask On House Floor)
Following the updated CDC guidelines, Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie refused to follow Pelosi’s mandate, saying it is “not based on science.” On May 19, three House Republicans — Reps. Beth Van Duyne of Texas, Brian Mast of Florida and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa — were fined $500 each for violating House rules on masks.
Pelosi had been caught hugging and socializing in a large crowd without a mask at a May 20 White House reception despite her strict rules regarding masks.
The Capitol Attending Physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, has now updated the pandemic rules for the House. Masks will no longer be required on the floor of the House. Decrease in community transmission/high rate of vaccination (85% in Capitol complex) triggered this decision
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) June 11, 2021
The current vaccination rate of the Capitol complex is 85%, a senior Democratic aide told Forbes.