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Marjorie Taylor Greene fined for refusing to wear mask on House floor a third time

Congresswoman puts her money where her mask was after calling on GOP to refuse mandates

Justin Vallejo
New York
Thursday 09 September 2021 22:09 BST
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Marjorie Taylor Greene faces a $2500 fine for refusing to wear a mask in defiance of a House mandate.

Ms Taylor Greene, who is suing over a $500 fine given for not wearing a mask a second time, was among several GOP protesters who spoke out against the mandate reinstated in July by the Office of the Attending Physician.

Capitol police chief Thomas Manger ordered officers to report any members of Congress who refuse to wear a mask, warning they could be subject to arrest for unlawful entry under DC Code 22-3302.

While Ms Taylor Greene wasn’t cuffed for going maskless, she faces the increased fine from the House Sergeant at Arms for her third offence. The first offence comes with a warning.

Chip Roy, of Texas, was also fined but will only face $500 for his second offence.

Neither filed an appeal, with Mr Roy telling Forbes “filing an appeal to tyrannical overlords is a futile gesture.” He said appealing also leaves him without standing to sue.

Ms Taylor Greene, along with Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, filed a lawsuit against House speaker Nancy Pelosi over $500 fines in May.

Following the reinstated mask mandate in late July, Ms Taylor Greene was among the ringleaders of the GOP lawmakers against the mandate.

Mr Massie and Nancy Mace dared the Capitol police to come for them, while Lauren Boebert reportedly dropped an offered mask to the floor.

Ms Taylor Greene, meanwhile, called on every Republican to refuse the "bulls***" and posted parody videos directing people which side of the velvet rope in Congress allowed people to wear masks. The Senate side of the building had not issued a mask mandate of its own.

“Dr [Brian] Monahan has no authority to fine us or tell members that we can’t vote if we aren’t wearing a mask,” she said in a July tweet.

“In other words, Dr Monahan is just another Pelosi puppet and is guilty of medical malpractice.”

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