Exclusive — Elise Stefanik: Pelosi Used Coronavirus Pandemic to ‘Coalesce Power’

House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview Thursday that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) used the coronavirus pandemic to “coalesce power” as the leader of the House.

Stefanik spoke to Breitbart News after Democrats blocked a resolution proposed by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and many other House Republicans to update the House’s mask mandate in light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) revised policies.

Democrats blocked the resolution, a measure Republicans strongly favored.

The resolution noted that the CDC stated fully vaccinated Americans no longer have to wear masks indoors or outdoors.

The resolution even quotes Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said, “It is very unlikely that a vaccinated person, even if there’s a breakthrough infection, would transmit it to someone else.”

The resolution states that the House mask mandate:

is not based on the best available science, is contrary to the latest CDDC guidance, and is not in line with the protocols in place in the United States Senate and the White House; and Wheras the continued House mask mandate hinders the ability of the House to properly and effectively conduct the people’s business.

In her interview with Breitbart News, Stefanik slammed Pelosi for not keeping the House’s mask policies in line with the CDC guidelines and noted that Pelosi has used the coronavirus pandemic to coalesce power in her favor.

Stefanik said, “Speaker Pelosi is not a health official, she should follow the CDC guidelines, and the House Physician should follow the CDC guidelines. It’s unfortunate she has used the pandemic to grab and coalesce power, and the American people are frustrated and starting to see through it.”

Pelosi has implemented a procedure to allow for proxy voting during the coronavirus pandemic, even though House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has said that the Constitution states that Congress must meet in person.

McCarthy said last May, “For 231 years, that’s what Congress has done — from the yellow fever of 17 — in the 1700s to the Civil War to the burning of a building during the — in the 1900s. Then you had Spanish flu. You had the 9/11 — we still convened.”