Incoming Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and another new Republican House member were involved in a dispute over coronavirus masks as the 117th Congress met for the first time on Sunday, journalist Jake Sherman reported.
Greene and the unidentified Republican appeared to tell floor staff they would not put on masks, Sherman reported.
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The Republican and Democratic floor staff ended up in a “screaming match,” Sherman said.
Greene was quick to respond to the report.
“Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi changed the COVID rules because she is desperate to cling to the gavel. No one can attack me about masks, when Pelosi is sending Democrats to the floor with positive COVID tests to vote for her for Speaker,” Greene wrote on Twitter in an apparent reference to Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., who will be allowed to vote on the floor after announcing Dec. 28 that she tested positive for coronavirus.
“Well I actually do have a mask,” Greene continued, posting a photo of herself sporting a face mask with the slogan “Trump Won.”
The House will vote on Monday on a new “rules package” to begin the new Congress which will include a remote voting option. But in the House, you can’t carry over rules from the 116th Congress to the 117th Congress.
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That’s why everyone has to show up at noon on Sunday.
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Under normal circumstances, all 435 House members-elect would crowd into the chamber to vote electronically and record their presence. But during coronavirus, the House will summon members to the chambers in seven groups of about 72 persons. The first tranche starts with Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., and runs through Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas. The seventh and final group stretches from Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., through Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
