Photo: Getty Images
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is certainly not in the good graces of House Sergeant-at-Arms William Walker. On Tuesday morning, The Hill reported that Walker was able to cite 19 different occasions when Greene failed to comply with the U.S. House of Representatives' COVID-19 mask mandate. The first violation of the mask mandate equates to a $500 fine and every subsequent violation results in a $2,500 fine. Over time, the Georgia lawmaker has accrued nearly $50,000 in fines.
"You have been observed not wearing a mask on July 29, August 2, September 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, and October 1, 12, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, and 27, and have been asked by a member of my staff to wear a mask while in the Hall of the House of Representatives on each occasion unless recognized to speak by the chair," Walker wrote in a letter obtained by The Hill.
House Democrats established a mask mandate in the summer of 2020 because several members of the Republican Party had refused to wear them while on the House floor. At first, Greene abided by the mandate and wore masks that were decorated with the words, "Trump Won" and "Censored." In 2021, fines were introduced after several Republicans refused to abide by the mandate during the Capitol Hill Riots. Since then, Greene has opted to disobey the mandate completely because she feels they are "authoritarian."
"I will continue my stand on the House floor against authoritarian Democrat mandates, because I don’t want the American people to stand alone,” she said, according to The Hill.
Greene is not the only member of Congress to face fines for failing to follow COVID-19 protocols. Her colleague, Rep. Andrew Clyde, has accrued $8,000 in fines for failing to follow the House floor rules. He also has amassed $15,000 in fines for failing to go through the metal detectors that were put in place after January 6.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.