Democrat Gwen Moore Travels to D.C. to Vote for Pelosi as Speaker After COVID Diagnosis

Israel Rittenhouse Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wisc., speaks during the opening night of the Democr
MORRY GASH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Kristina Wong

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) traveled from Wisconsin to Washington, DC, after announcing she was diagnosed with COVID-19 just six days ago, in order to help secure Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as House speaker for another term.

Moore tweeted on December 28, “I tested positive for COVID-19. I am following guidance from my doctor and am isolating from others. I am thankful to be feeling well. And I do not foresee this disrupting my work for Wisconsin’s Fourth.”

She spoke to local news station WISN 12 on December 30, confirming that she was in Wisconsin when she was diagnosed.

She told the station, “I have had great medical care, through Froedtert Hospital, and they have taken very good care of me. The moment that I got my diagnosis, the interventions were in place right away.” Froedtert Hospital is located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

However, she announced just six days later on Sunday afternoon that she was cleared to travel.

“Thank you all for the well wishes. I am feeling good! My quarantine is over and I am medically cleared to travel and work on behalf of Wisconsin’s Fourth Congressional District,” she tweeted.

It is not clear exactly when Moore traveled to D.C. and how.

Just a few hours later, Moore was in the Capitol, interacting with other members and journalists. Huffington Post’s Matt Fuller tweeted that Moore gave another member an “elbow bump”:

Moore also interacted with journalists, including The Hill‘s Olivia Beavers, telling her that she has not received a negative COVID-19 test after she tested positive and said she had followed CDC guidelines to quarantine for two weeks:

Moore was seen on the House floor sitting in the front row, according to C-SPAN’s Craig Caplan:

USA Today‘s Christal Hayes tweeted that Moore was showing up six days after she announced a COVID diagnosis, despite the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines recommending a quarantine of at least ten days for those testing positive:

A number of Republicans slammed Pelosi for allowing Moore to vote despite a COVID-19 diagnosis in order to ensure Pelosi’s election as House speaker.

Republican freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) tweeted, “.@SpeakerPelosi changed the COVID rules because she is desperate to cling to the gavel”:

She also tweeted, “Democrats shut down this country, and businesses, churches, schools, force masks, and ruin millions of Americans lives. But it’s ok with @SpeakerPelosi to walk #COVID19 positive members in the House so she can get her precious votes to be Speaker?”

National Republican Senatorial Committee adviser Matthew Whitlock tweeted:

Pelosi allowing Dems who JUST tested positive for COVID days ago in to vote (because her Speakership is on the line) is a great reminder that Dems see the virus and virus safety measures as a political tool to weaponize or ignore based on their political needs of the moment.

With Democrats losing 13 seats in the House in the November elections and only having a ten-seat margin over Republicans, she needed to secure as many Democrat votes as possible with no more than six defections. In 2018, there were 15 defections.

During Sunday’s vote, there were two defections from Reps. Jared Golden (D-ME) and Conor Lamb (D-PA). Despite threats from progressives, Pelosi ultimately won reelection with 216 votes — less than a majority of the House. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) received 209 votes.

Rep. Bruce Westerman tweeted, “Looks like @SpeakerPelosi‘s proxy voting and remote hearing measures are only essential when her leadership position isn’t on the line.”

Moore tweeted to Trump in October to “stay home” due to surging cases of COVID:

She has also tweeted in November that Wisconsinites should “stay home whenever possible.”

If Moore did follow CDC guidelines to isolate herself for ten days, that would mean she first experienced symptoms or was tested on or before December 23 but did not tell the public for five days — until December 28.

Follow Breitbart News’s Kristina Wong on Twitter or on Facebook.

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