Democratic lawmaker wants unmasked House members relegated to isolation boxes in the gallery

Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) wants to put unmasked House members in a box — literally.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, Clark is asking the sergeant at arms of the House of Representatives, William Walker, to require lawmakers who forego masks to attend the floor from isolation boxes in the gallery.

As #Omicron rages, Members breaking House rules by refusing to #maskup are threatening our dedicated staff and Members. Fines are not enough. I’m calling for unmasked Members to attend the floor and vote from the isolation boxes in the House Gallery. Read more⬇️ pic.twitter.com/UTDAJDlqiE

— Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) January 11, 2022

Members already face fines for entering the House floor without wearing a mask. The first offense costs $500, while subsequent instances of noncompliance cost a whopping $2,500.

“Unfortunately, these fines have proven insufficient to prevent some Members from repeatedly violating this commonsense rule,” Clark wrote in the letter to Walker. “In fact, two House members alone have accumulated more than $100,000 in fines over the last year. This callous disregard for House rules endangers the health of Members of Congress and the professional staff whose physical presence is required to ensure continuity of government.” – READ MORE