Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., revealed that he and members from his office “will not comply” with Washington D.C.’s Covid-19 vaccination passports, which take effect Sunday.
According to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bower’s orders, people will now be required to show proof of vaccination to enter gyms, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, sporting events, or conference centers.
Massie tweeted Thursday that he will not “show papers,” or “order take out from restaurants that require papers for dine in.”
“We will get our food from Virginia or we will bring it to work,” said Massie. “Shame has befallen our nation’s capital.”
In neighboring Virginia, Republican Glenn Youngkin, the state’s new governor as of Saturday, maintained that he would not allow vaccine passports in the state.
“This idea of requiring people to show a ‘vaccine passport’ to participate in everyday life is wrong,” Youngkin tweeted last spring. “I strongly oppose and I will not allow it when I am governor.”
Massie, along with 19 House Republicans, co-sponsored legislation introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., on Wednesday to overturn Mayor Bowser’s vaccine passport orders.
“This bill serves as a direct response to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s unconstitutional order for businesses and other establishments to enforce proof of vaccination for entry beginning on January 15, 2022,” said Gaetz’s office.
Gaetz’s bill was sent to the House Oversight and Reform Committee, but it may be difficult to pass with Democrats holding majorities in both chambers of Congress.
The District of Columbia is not the only major city mandating residents to show vaccine papers to participate in everyday life. New York City, Minneapolis, and St. Paul are also requiring residents show papers to enter indoor facilities.
The Biden administration tried mandating vaccinations for all workers in private businesses with 100 or more employees, threatening to have them terminated if they weren’t vaccinated. However, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Biden’s orders on private businesses were unconstitutional, a win for conservatives.
