[ad_1]
A Texas Democratic state lawmaker who was one of six to test positive for the coronavirus called on Texas to reinstate a universal mask mandate on Wednesday – although he was pictured bare-faced on the plane private who transported the delegation to Washington, DC last week.
“We have to follow the science here” State Representative Donna Howard tweeted, who tested positive for the virus with five of her top Democratic colleagues between Friday and Monday. “Texas must change course and allow the wearing of universal masks to prevent the spread of the highly contagious delta variant, in particular[ecially] because children under 12 cannot be vaccinated yet.
Twitter users were quick to point out that Howard posed for photos alongside fellow lawmakers on the July 12 flight from Austin to the nation’s capital without covering his face. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently requires travelers to mask themselves on public planes, trains and buses, but that authority does not extend to chartered planes.
This isn’t the first time Howard has gone viral for all the wrong reasons during his trip to Washington. Last week, she tweeted a photo of her wet laundry hanging from a hotel room’s shower curtain rod in an attempt to convey the “sacrifice” made by Democratic lawmakers.
On Tuesday, the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that one of the California Democrat’s aides tested positive for coronavirus after coming into contact with members of the Texas delegation last week. On the same day, the White House announced that one of its employees had tested positive, with press secretary Jen Psaki claiming the person had “mild symptoms.”
Psaki also revealed on Tuesday that “there have been” other “breakthrough” coronavirus infections among vaccinated White House staff, but she will not say how many or when they were detected.
Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott lifted his state’s mask mandate in March of this year and has shown no intention of reinstating it.
“We are past the time of government mandates,” Abbott told reporters Wednesday in Houston. “We are in the time of personal responsibility, and that is exactly what we will do. “
At least 51 members of the Texas House of Representatives and nine State Senators fled from Lone Star State to Washington last week to prevent the passage of a controversial electoral reform bill in denying the House a quorum during a 30-day special session which has begun. July 13. Lawmakers met with Democratic members of Congress and Vice President Kamala Harris last week to push for the passage of two blocked federal election reform bills.
Abbott, for his part, threatened to arrest lawmakers upon their return to Texas and lock them in the legislative chambers so they could review election legislation and other measures. The governor also pledged to continue calling special sessions until next year’s elections.
[ad_2]
Source link