Seventy-four-year-old New Jersey Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman has tested positive for coronavirus, days after being in a protective lockdown with other lawmakers inside the U.S. Capitol. She and others believe they contracted the virus after some members refused masks while sheltering in place and even reportedly mocked those who wore them.
“The building seen as a physical manifestation of democracy was under siege,” said Jon Boski, CEO of Dallas-based healthcare distributorship and consultancy, Medcillary. “We had leaders quibbling about not wanting to wear a mask. If they can’t figure it out for themselves, how can we trust them to figure this out for us?”
Just a week earlier, the 117th Congress kicked off with the same sort of fireworks that punctuated most of the 116th. Before new members were even sworn in, Politico reported “Republican freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s refusal to wear a face mask on the House floor reportedly prompted a screaming match during the swearing in of the 117th Congress.”
Medcillary has sent “care packages” to Greene, Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and second term North Texas Representative Colin Allred. Allred represents the Texas district where Medcillary is headquartered.
“The time for debate and grandstanding is over,” Boski said. “The people of the Unites States of America have been begging for leadership. What we’re getting is a directionless, virus filled vacuum from both parties.”
COVID concerns have rattled both parties. At times the House floor was described as “pure chaos” during the usually tradition-filled first day of a new session – as Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly reminded colleagues to socially distance. Pelosi herself has been the target of criticisms in the past for non-adherence to COVID protocols.
Boski is a COVID crusader. He and Medcillary have donated tens of thousands of masks to schools and inventoried PPE for businesses across the country. The care package, he says, contains masks, face shields and sanitizers, along with a personal message reminding politicians to keep politics out of the pandemic.
This letter from Medcillary CEO Jon Boski was included in Congressional Care Packages sent to Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, North Texas Representative Colin Allred and Republican Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene:
