Letter to the Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House and the Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader - National Capital Region Delegation Urges House Leaders To Issue Mask Directive To Members Of Congress

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy,
We write to raise public health concerns stemming from Congress' resumption of official
business in the nation's capital amid a deadly pandemic.
We represent the residents of the National Capital Region, including those who live or work on
Capitol Hill. To date, over 2,600 people living in the region have died from COVID-19, and tens
of thousands have tested positive.1 That figure includes Capitol Police officers,2
construction
workers involved in projects at congressional office buildings,34
congressional staff,56
and
Members of Congress.7
It is abundantly clear that no one is immune to the deadly effects of this
virus.
Given the toll this pandemic has taken on residents of Washington, D.C. and the surrounding
area, we are dismayed by the reluctance of many of our colleagues serving in the House to take
necessary precautions to protect those around them.8 We have personally observed Members of
the House refusing to engage in social distancing or wear face coverings, and mocking those who
do. We have read accounts and interviews with colleagues in which they defend their refusal to
wear masks.9 Such conduct misses an opportunity which all of us as leaders should embrace -- to
model good, responsible behavior. Worse, it directly endangers our constituents who work in
their proximity, some of whom have contacted us to say they are not comfortable working on
Capitol Hill around Members of Congress who do not prioritize their safety.
Face coverings are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and the Attending
Physician of the U.S. Congress to prevent transmission of the coronavirus.1011 Their
effectiveness in preventing the spread of this disease has been documented repeatedly in medical
studies, particularly in indoor areas where adequate social distancing is made difficult by tight
spaces, which is true of the U.S. Capitol.121314 Face coverings are also required by orders issued
by the leaders of the jurisdictions we represent for anyone who visits a store, patronizes an
indoor business, or rides public transportation.15161718 For average citizens, these orders are not
optional, they are a legally-mandated public health requirement. Yet in Congress, where the
nation's leaders gather, these simple lifesaving precautions are ignored too often.
We therefore ask that you issue strong, explicit directives to Members of the House regarding
proper face coverings, social distancing, and other public health precautions recommended by
the Centers for Disease Control and local public health departments with all possible haste. Such
measures will help protect Members of Congress and those whose work requires close contact
with them. Senate leaders recently encouraged their Members to adopt face coverings,19 and we
believe the House should as well.
This virus will not be impressed by cavalier attitudes or political posturing, nor will its spread
discriminate based on partisan allegiance. Social distancing and wearing masks saves lives.
Congress should put sound medical and scientific advice first, and adopt them uniformly.
We thank you for your consideration in this matter.