JAYAPAL: The idea that — and this has happened to me, where you get on a elevator and people refuse to wear a mask, and your choices are to either get off the elevator or to get on the elevator and to tell them to wear a mask. That should not be (snickering) a problem in the United States Congress, and I really believe that our colleagues who refuse to even adhere to the basic norms of civility are undermining our democracy — and, of course, we’re seeing it in all kinds of even more serious ways, like the January 6th insurrection. It’s just… (sputtering) It’s just part of that and part of the attempt to take down a legitimate democracy from functioning in the way it should function.
BUCK: (impression) Not wearing a mask with me in the elevator is just like the January 6th insurrection!
CLAY: (laughing)
BUCK: That was a member of Congress. That was Congresswoman Jayapal, just so you understand. These are the things that Democrats say now. “When you refuse to mask up you’re destroying this democracy!” You heard her there which is fascinating on so many levels because this is, as I’ve said so many times, all evidence of a serious anxiety disorder. These anxiety disorders are very difficult, very difficult.
But you need to deal with them and not expect everybody else to cater to your anxiety disorder. You have to deal with your anxiety disorder even if you’re a member of Congress. But this is fascinating as well because, Clay, the member of Congress here is saying if you don’t mask up when you got you get on an elevator with somebody, you are a… Just to be clear, you’re “undermining our democracy” is what she said, if you don’t mask up on elevator.
She’s going to restaurants and bars and I’m sure parties and whatever else. No one’s got masks on. But when you step on an elevator with me, sir, without a mask on for that 20-second ride, you’re undermining our democracy. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C., has announced just today they are getting rid of the indoor mask mandate in two weeks. They’re getting rid of it everywhere except — get ready for this — schools and some other locations.
BUCK: So on March 1st, masks will still be required in — let me see — schools, child care facilities, and libraries.
CLAY: Schools and child care facilities. Buck, this is crazy because they have the largest group of people who have the lowest risk.
BUCK: Yes.
CLAY: If anything, we should be reversing it. There should be no mask mandate.
BUCK: There’s more, though, by the way. “Public transit…” I’m reading from the mayor’s order right now. “Public transit, taxis, and ride share,” of course, Uber, “and D.C. government facilities.” So basically “businesses, houses of worship, gyms, restaurants, masks will no longer be required,” and I think they’re also dropping the vaccine requirement there, too, but I have to check on that. I have to check on that. They’re definitely dialing back the mask thing but in schools, Clay? They’re keeping it in schools.
CLAY: Look, there should be no mask, rule one. But if you were actually going to look at the data and science, the very first place you would remove the mask mandate is child care and schools beyond a shadow of a doubt based on low risk factors.
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