Rep Pramila Jayapal Tests Positive For COVID-19, Slams Republicans Without Masks At Capitol

Democrat Pramila Jayapal, who is the elected Chair of the United States’ Congressional Progressive Caucus, has tested positive for COVID-19 in the days following the Capitol Hill siege. On January 6, when pro-Donald Trump mobs trespassed the Capitol buildings, politicians of the Congress in session had to reportedly rush to take cover. Pinning her positive test results to that incident, Jayapal said several Republicans had "cruelly refused to wear a mask," even proceeding to "recklessly" mock colleagues who offered them one.

Jayapal, elected for her third consecutive term as the Congresswoman from Washington, is an Indian-American hailing from Tamil Nadu. Following her 2020 US Election victory, she has emerged among the top lawmakers in the country. On her website, the 55-year-old issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the Capitol riots as a coronavirus "superspreader" as well as a "domestic terrorist attack."

Also Read: "False Misleading Accusations On Me": Melania Trump Breaks Silence On Capitol Hill Siege

She added, "Too many Republicans have refused to take this pandemic and virus seriously, and in doing so, they endanger everyone around them. Only hours after President Trump incited a deadly assault on our Capitol, our country, and our democracy, many Republicans still refused to take the bare minimum COVID-19 precaution." Jayapal has asked for fines to be levied against Republicans who refused to wear masks in the Capitol.

Politicians Condemn Capitol Siege, House Moves For Impeachment

The January 6 attack on the Capitol, led by pro-Trump mobs in a bid to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the incoming administration, has widely been condemned by Democrats as an "assault on democracy." Harris, calling for peace via a social media message, had said, "

Jayapal has mentioned in a tweet, "I will not rest until I do everything in my power to remove this President from office."

Donald Trump incited insurrection—leading to a deadly assault on our Capitol, country, and democracy. He must be removed. https://t.co/V9wjUzX2F6

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 11, 2021

Also Read: Ashli Babbit Was "Deep Into" Conspiracy Theories Like QAnon: Experts

The New York Times states that Democrats, as well as some members of Trump’s own Republican party, in the Congress have given a unanimous nod to Trump’s removal. State officials Elaine Chao, Betsy DeVos, and Melania Trump’s chief staff Stephenie Grisham have all resigned in the aftermath of the Capitol attack.

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stated that the Congress will initiate impeachment proceedings against current President Trump, in case his removal from office through the 25th Amendment isn't begun. According to latest reports by The Seattle Times, the House has introduced an article of impeachment against Trump, charging him for “incitement of insurrection” at the Capitol.

Also Read: Who Is Vijaya Gadde, Twitter's Top Policy Executive Being Credited For Ban On Trump's Twitter Account?

Who Is Pramila Jayapal?

Pramila Jayapal was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As a representative of the US Democratic Party, she defeated Republican Craig Keller by a massive 70 percentage points in the Seventh Congressional District of Washington State in the US Election 2020. She was re-elected for her third consecutive term. She is also the Chair of the United States’ Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC). Read more about her here.