California Democrat wears face mask while presiding over House pro forma session

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) wore a face mask while presiding over a House pro forma session on Tuesday as a precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Sherman is one of the first government officials to make a point of wearing a face mask in public following a new recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recent days that Americans wear face coverings to help prevent spread of the coronavirus.

“The mask was made following the instructions of the Surgeon General and by my 11 year old daughter, Molly,” Sherman tweeted after presiding over the six-minute pro forma session.

The mask was made following the instructions of the Surgeon General and by my 11 year old daughter, Molly. https://t.co/AsevBRUIjN

— Rep. Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) April 7, 2020

House officials took other new precautions to adhere to physical distancing guidelines Tuesday.

Typically, the House reading clerks and chaplain will speak from the dais directly below the presiding officer. But during Tuesday’s session, Susan Cole, a reading clerk, and the Rev. Patrick Conroy, the House chaplain, both spoke from microphones situated near the center of the House floor that are typically only used by lawmakers. 

The House is meeting every three days in pro forma sessions while the chamber is on an extended recess due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Congress was already scheduled to be on recess this week due to the Passover and Easter holidays, but both chambers have been out of session for most of the last two weeks so that lawmakers and staff can limit their potential exposure to the coronavirus.

Both chambers are expected to remain out of session until at least April 20. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced a new policy on Monday that allows members and staff to introduce and co-sponsor legislation electronically instead of having to deliver the materials to the House chamber in person.

House officials also issued guidelines when the chamber debated the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package last month to ensure lawmakers adhered to social distancing precautions, such as requiring everyone to use hand sanitizer, wiping down microphones with disinfecting wipes after each use and having everyone sit at least one seat apart.

President Trump announced the new guidance on Friday that Americans wear cloth face masks while out in public, but he has so far declined to wear a mask himself.

The CDC is recommending that Americans make their own face masks using materials at home and reserve surgical masks and N95 masks for health care personnel, who are facing a shortage of personal protective equipment.

The guidance for Americans to wear facial coverings in public is based on studies showing a significant number of people who have the coronavirus but are asymptomatic and can still spread it to others.