Pramila Jayapal says Republicans exposed her to COVID-19; asks for fines and ban on maskless Congress members

SCREEN CAPTURE / PBS

REP. PRAMILA JAYAPAL

United States Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, received a positive COVID-19 test result Monday after being locked down in a secured room at the U.S Capitol where numerous Republican lawmakers recklessly refused to wear masks in the moments after the attempted coup on January 6.

Dr. Brian Monahan, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress, advised representatives and Congressional staff on Sunday that those in the secured room could have, “been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.” The duration in the room was multiple hours and several Republicans not only adamently refused to wear a mask but mocked colleagues and staff who offered them one.

“Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them. Only hours after President Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution and simply wear a damn mask in a crowded room during a pandemic — creating a superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack,” said Jayapal. 

Since it was learned that Jayapal had the coronavirus, two other members of Congress -- Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Bonnie Coleman, D-N.J. -- were found to have contracted the deadly virus that has claimed over 376,000 lives in the U.S. They believe they were exposed to COVID-19 while sheltering in locations secured from the rioters trying to disrupt Congress' certification of the Electoral College votes.

“It angers me when they (Republicans) refuse to adhere to the directions about keeping their masks on,” said the 75-year old Coleman in an interview. “It comes off to me as arrogance and defiance. And you can be both, but not at the expense of someone else.”

“While I am isolating per the Capitol Physician’s instructions, I will continue to work to the best of my ability because the deep urgency of our many crises is paramount. I share the outrage and anger of my constituents and those across this country who have watched Donald Trump fail to combat this raging pandemic and refuse to take care of Americans who are suffering, dying, and devastated. Now, we have also watched him openly fuel and incite these insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol and our democracy on January 6—so I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this President from office.”

“I am also calling for serious fines to be immediately levied on every single Member who refuses to wear a mask in the Capitol,” Jayapal said in a press release. “Additionally, any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be immediately removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms. This is not a joke. Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy.”

Jayapal began quarantining immediately after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, fearing and foreseeing exactly what would occur given the number of maskless lawmakers sitting in the same room as her and her colleagues. In an interview with The Cut on Thursday, she said, “I’m quarantining now because I am convinced that where we ended up, in the secured room — where there were over 100 people and many were Republicans not wearing masks — was a superspreader event.”