The Washington, D.C.-based newspaper Roll Call offers “A definitive guide to mask fashion on Capitol Hill,” where most senators and House members are wearing them. It includes a look at Kentucky’s two senators, who have completely different habits regarding face masks.
It says Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “looks pretty comfortable” in a World Series champions Washington Nationals mask, and has also worn disposable masks.
The story ends with Sen. Rand Paul, whose face covering is “a scruffy beard he grew in quarantine at home after testing positive for the coronavirus.” It notes he says he has immunity and can’t spread the virus.
However, “Health experts caution that little is definitively known about the novel coronavirus and immunity,”
The story continues. “He’s not breaking any rules. While many employees at the Capitol must now wear masks in the course of their jobs, it’s still a suggestion, not a requirement, for members of Congress.
“By going mask-free, Paul can skip all the hard and uncomfortable parts. He doesn’t have to worry about elastic digging into his ears or fabric muffling his voice. He doesn’t have to worry about logistical headaches, like removing it for speeches or touching it too much. Meanwhile, his colleagues are doing all that and more, with mixed results.”
The Hill says “by far the largest mask-wearing category, in Congress and around the country” is people who say “I’m still figuring this out.”
The Rural Blog is a publication of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues based at the University of Kentucky.
