When the 118th Congress convenes on Jan. 3, and members are sworn in, Vice President Kamala Harris is requiring senators, their spouses, and guests older than 2 to provide a negative coronavirus test before participating in a photo op.
Grisella Martinez, who is Harris’ director of legislative affairs, wrote the vice president’s requirements to the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, who distributed the message to Senate offices last week.
“We look forward to welcoming your Senator on January 3, 2023, to the ceremonial reenactment for incoming and newly re-elected Senators in the Old Senate Chamber,” Martinez wrote.
“As you are aware, White House COVID-19 protocols require that anyone over two years of age who will interact with the Vice President take a medically-administered antigen test within 24 hours prior to interaction, and receive a negative result. This policy applies regardless of vaccination status.”
Martinez said that people who want to attend the ceremony must undergo testing the morning of Jan. 3 in a Senate office building or submit results of a medically administered test to a White House email address by 9 a.m. on the same day.
On Dec. 29, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Protocol Office released a statement that explained, “The Vice President’s office has requested that we send their standard COVID-19 protocol information to offices participating in the reenactment opportunity in the Old Senate Chamber. Please see their suggested process below.”
Family members and close friends of senators typically attend the swearing-in ceremonies.
Harris also serves as president of the Senate. At noon on Jan. 3, on the Senate floor, she will administer the oath of office to the senators who won their respective races in last November’s midterms.
New and returning senators take the oath from Harris in small groups. They also have the opportunity to repeat the ceremony one on one and get a photograph with the vice president. Spouses, children, and even grandchildren are usually included in the photo.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) expressed his displeasure with the policy, tweeting, “This is nuts. About the only thing the VP does (esp in a 51-49 Senate) is swear in new senators. And, with out-of-touch contempt, Kamala is insisting they all get tested before she’s willing to do her job. Nope.”
Hey—Border Czar—are you requiring that of the illegals storming the Southern Border?
Or do these multi-millions of illegal immigrants being let in our country by the Biden administration have to have ANY vaccinations or tests for ANYTHING?
How’s about we demand an MRI from folks like her, to ENSURE THEY HAVE A BRAIN!
Or demand that he who shook the STD laden hand of his smaratest kid in the world get tested to prove he is clean enough to shake the hands of others, like the Democrats he shakes hands with to seal the corrupt kickbacks that whither the hands of government from ever being financially stable.
We the people demand that the Vice President be put into one of those protective plastic bubbles for the swearing in ceremony, it would be much more reasonable for everyone involved.
more like we the people demand her resignation from office!
Na.. Just put her into the next rocket we send into space, and have it launch out of our system!
Screw you and the knee pads you slid in on
I would definitely prefer NOT. But the knee pads reference is way funny.
Not even hospitals are requiring testing any longer – this is nothing but bs and kami knows it! Her days are numbered in dc and we can’t wait to see her gone!
I wonder, those hospitals we heard about, that REFUSED MEDICAL service, to folks for “not having the shot”.. HOW many of them have since rescinded that rule?
This woman is better at making people hate her than anyone else in the swamp.
Harris and Slo Joe have to be two of the dumber people in the entire world. There is NO science to support this (unless your last name is Fauci). They mandated the two initial vaccines, then the boosters, and now this. They are nothing more than big gubment puppets, doing as they are told. Go back to Bio101 or Virology class (I wonder if she knows what they are).
Why must one be tested to attend a circus