(CNSNews.com) – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday she thinks House members should return to face-masking.
“[I]f you’re asking me, I think that we should mask,” Pelosi said. “But in terms of officially for the House floor, that’s up to the Capitol physician.”
Also on Sunday, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN’s “State of the Union” that mask mandates, even for vaccinated Americans, are “under active consideration.” (More on that below.)
Pelosi: ‘I’ve been working on vaccines for a long time’
“Is it time to mask up again in the House?” ABC’s George Stephanopoulos asked Pelosi. “And will you be wearing your own mask more often?”
“Well, I wore my mask here,” Pelosi responded:
But as to whether we do so on the House floor, that is a decision of the House — the Capitol physician. And he will give us his recommendation about it.
But let me once again praise President Biden. Right from the start, the president has been just on the job, making vaccine available in every nook and cranny of our country, available every place, urging people to be vaccinated. It’s really important that that happen. And he has made that happen by having an abundance of vaccine — vaccines available for that.
This is a vaccine — you know, I’ve been working on vaccines for a long time because of COVID. And this is a virus that is — because of COVID, yes, but also because of HIV and AIDS. For 30 years, I’ve been working on that subject in the Congress.
These viruses are very resourceful. They mutate. And they mutate by transmission. So, if people would get vaccinated, there’d be less transmission and, therefore, less mutation and less danger.
But we are, I think, very well-prepared to protect the American people. Let’s just hope that they follow science. Some of these decisions are regional about requirements of masks and this or that.
But if you’re asking me, I think that we should mask. But in terms of officially for the House floor, that’s up to the Capitol physician.
Fauci: ‘I am part of the discussion’ about masking
“Do you think masks should be brought back for vaccinated Americans?” Jake Tapper, host of CNN’s “State of the Union,” asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden:
“You know, Jake, this is under active consideration,” Fauci responded:
If you’re asking, am I part of the discussion, yes, I am part of the discussion. But I think what you are seeing, even though — as of our conversation at this moment, the CDC still says and recommends that, if you are vaccinated fully, that you do not need to wear a mask indoors.
However, if you look at what’s going on locally, in the trenches, in places like L.A. County, the local officials have the discretion, and the CDC agrees with that ability and discretion, capability, to say, you know, you’re in a situation where we’re having a lot of dynamics of infection, so, even if you are vaccinated, you should wear a mask.
That’s a local decision that’s not incompatible with the CDC’s overall recommendations that give a lot of discretion to the locals. And we’re seeing that in L.A. We’re seeing it in Chicago. We’re seeing that in New Orleans, because the officials there, many of them are saying, even if you’re vaccinated, it’s prudent to wear a mask indoors.
So, that’s a local decision.