Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) refused a mask offer Wednesday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) updated her rules to require masks in the halls of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Boebert delivered remarks on the House floor Wednesday morning against taxpayer-funded abortions, and at one point, “when offered a mask, she returned it with a quick slide across the table,” spokesman Ben Stout told Breitbart News.
The occurrence of Boebert’s mask rejection comes as viral reports of hearsay online claimed Boebert, who was not wearing a mask, “threw” a mask at a Democrat staffer who offered her one:
Stout confirmed the Colorado Republican does not plan to comply with Pelosi’s “anti-science, totalitarian mask mandate.”
Boebert said in a statement to Breitbart News of her decision, “Americans should not succumb to the bully tactics from extreme leftists. If members of Congress cede our freedoms here, what hope is there for the people we represent?”
The move from Boebert comes after Pelosi updated her rules about masks, announcing Wednesday morning that she was requiring all congressmembers and staff to wear masks in the House hallways or face a fine.
“Members will be permitted to remove their mask temporarily while under recognition,” Pelosi clarified. “To be clear, members and staff must wear masks in the halls of the House at all times except when a member may remove his or her mask when recognized by the chair.”
The speaker added that the Sergeant at Arms is “authorized and directed to impose a fine” on anyone in violation of the updated rules. The fines are $500 for the first violation and $2,500 for any violations thereafter.
Boebert, a Republican firebrand and House Freedom Caucus member, has long been outspoken about her opposition to several coronavirus mandates. As recently as Wednesday morning, she posted a comment online that said, “My thoughts on @SpeakerPelosi’s anti-science, totalitarian mask mandate,” accompanied by a clip of former President Donald Trump saying, “It’s bullshit”:
Boebert’s remarks on the House floor on Wednesday were specifically in support of H.R. 18, which would modify federal funding of health insurance coverage so that funding does not go toward abortion.
“I rise to speak in defense of those who cannot defend themselves, the voiceless, the unborn,” Boebert said during her remarks. “I rise to say what we all know to be true that the human life begins at conception — because we know science is real.”
Pelosi’s mask policy change comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance Tuesday to advise individuals who have been fully vaccinated to wear a mask “indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.”
Write to Ashley Oliver at aoliver@breitbart.com.
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