White House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is a firm advocate of mask mandates amid the coronavirus pandemic, has been shown on footage speaking to an outdoor crowd during a fundraiser, where people were not wearing facial coverings or keeping a safe distance.
During the Democrat's address in Napa Valley, video footage and Twitter posts showed the audience in close proximity. Democratic Party donor and winemaker Kathryn Walt Hall uploaded the recordings and criticized the event.
Pelosi's Maskless Fundraiser
While waiters during the fundraiser were seen wearing face masks as they served people from different tables, the attendees were seated elbow-to-elbow. In a tweet, journalist Glenn Greenwald noted that nearly every single one of the "white, rich crowd of DCCC donors" was not wearing facial coverings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) labeled Napa Valley as a coronavirus hotspot, saying it was given a "high" designation for the level of transmission it showed. Medical experts warned that "high" was the most worrisome designation, the New York Post reported.
In a warning, the CDC said that while it was not generally needed to wear a mask during indoor settings, it should be considered due to the possible threats of leaving themselves vulnerable. The agency posted on its website, saying that wearing face masks in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with other people who were not fully vaccinated is highly recommended.
As Pelosi has been an advocate for face masks amid the pandemic many GOP members have expressed their criticism of the Democrat's apparent hypocrisy. White House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy took to Twitter to slam the house speaker.
Massive Infrastructure Bill
The incident comes after a weekend standoff between Pelosi and Centrist House Democrats over the decision of when to vote on a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill. The incident risked the chamber's ability to advance a sweeping segment of United States President Joe Biden's agenda in votes that are expected to come early this week, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Pelosi's DCCC event was the campaign arm of her caucus and tickets for the fundraiser were sold for $100 to $29,000. During one video recording, Pelosi could be heard saying, "The question was asked this morning by [former US] Ambassador [to Spain Alan] Solomont about young people, and how we are reaching out to young people."
Recently, Democrats are looking to take the first steps on Monday towards a massive $3.5 trillion spending plan that would make sweeping changes to the country's health care, education, and tax laws. However, the legislation created disparities among lawmakers that threaten to stop the bill's advance.
The bill includes most of Democrats' pledges to expand Medicare, discuss immigration laws, and spend funds to battle against climate change, which has caused devastating effects in recent months.
On Saturday, Pelosi sent a letter to politicians, once again making her case for swift action on the budget plan as well as infrastructure before September ends. She argued that any delay in passing the budget resolution could threaten the timetable of providing assistance that Democrats shared, the Washington Post reported.
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