#Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to require face coverings on House floor

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday she plans to make face coverings mandatory when on the House floor, according to reports of a call between her and Democratic colleagues.

Pelosi’s decision comes hours after Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Gohmert was spotted maskless outside a House Judiciary Committee hearing room as recently as Tuesday, The Hill reports.

Face coverings had been recommended but not mandatory to access the House floor. Republicans and Democrats have clashed over the accessory during meetings under the pandemic.

Experts and officials in states hit badly early on during the pandemic, like New York and New Jersey, have stressed the important role face masks played in stopping the spread of COVID-19. But the coverings have remained highly politicized.

Gohmert claimed without evidence that wearing a face mask could have caused his infection, and President Trump has promoted the views of a Houston doctor who champions hydroxychloroquine while calling face coverings unnecessary.

Several GOP lawmakers have been spotted on the House floor without face masks in recent weeks, The Hill reported.