Pelosi: Time to require wearing a mask
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says a federal mandate on mask-wearing is long overdue as coronavirus cases across the country spike.
Pelosi recently told ABC that President Donald Trump should lead by example and show Americans the importance of wearing a mask.
“The President should be [the] example, real men wear masks, be an example to the country, and wear the mask,” Pelosi said.
The CDC recommends that everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which is highly contagious. Pelosi said she believes that the Centers for Disease Control did not require mask-wearing, and instead only recommended coverings because they did not want to offend the President.
The White House says that everyone who comes in contact with the President is tested for coronavirus regularly and that it’s not necessary for him to wear a mask.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden said last week that he would make wearing face masks mandatory for Americans during the pandemic, a policy that Pelosi supports.
“The one thing we do know is these masks make a gigantic difference. I would insist that everybody out in public be wearing that mask.”
Fox News Host Laura Ingraham questioned what legal authority Biden would have to require mask-wearing.
“Media avoids the obvious followup: “Under what legal authority could Biden issue a mandatory mask-wearing mandate? And what’s the penalty for those who refuse,” Ingraham tweeted.
Vice President Mike Pence says that he believes that people should listen to state and local officials when it comes to wearing masks in public.
“President Trump and I, after asking the American people to embrace 45 days to slow the spread, we issued guidelines to reopen America and since that day, nearly two months ago, we’ve made it clear that we want to defer to governors, we want to defer to local officials and people should listen to them.”
Pence said the administration believes people should wear masks wherever social distancing is not possible and where authorities have said it is necessary.
Mask wearing has become a point of contention across the U.S. with many Americans still questioning if wearing a mask truly protects against the virus.
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