Double standard? DC mayor exempts from quarantine lawmakers returning from Lewis funeral

WASHINGTON, DC, August 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Capitol Hill lawmakers who traveled to Atlanta, Georgia for Rep. John Lewis’ funeral last week were, upon their return, exempted from the strict quarantine restrictions D.C. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser had put in place a few days earlier. 

Bowser’s quarantine directive stated: “All residents and persons traveling to or from ‘high-risk areas’ within the prior fourteen (14) days for non-essential travel must self-quarantine for fourteen (14) days following their return or arrival to the District.”

The state of Georgia, where the Lewis funeral took place, had been identified by the Mayor’s office as one of those “high-risk areas.”

Among the reported attendees exempted from the D.C. mandate are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and House Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC).  

Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton were also present at the funeral service. 

To people from D.C. and across the nation who have been prevented from attending or holding funerals for their loved ones because of coronavirus restrictions, or who have been unable to be at the bedside of a loved one who is dying, the move by the D.C. Mayor reveals yet another double standard for liberals amid the ongoing, often onerous coronavirus measures.  

“On behalf of every family who lost a loved [one] to Coronavirus and couldn't have a funeral for them, thank you Mayor Muriel Bowser, for making our sacrifice meaningless,” said Twitter user Janet C.  

On the day of Lewis’s funeral ––an event attended by many Democratic members of Congress–– conservative radio show host Buck Sexton wondered on Twitter:   

Georgia is on Washington DC Mayor Bowser’s list of states that require 2 week mandatory quarantine for 14 days 

Are these politicians going into quarantine, or are rules just for the little people?

The talk show host’s Tweet clearly hit a nerve, garnering more than 90,000 likes and nearly 40,000 retweets and comments. 

Sexton and his followers didn’t have to wait long for an answer.  

Bowser Press Secretary Susana Castillo told Just the News on Friday, “Government activity is essential, and the Capitol of the United States is exempt from the Mayor’s Order.”  

“The mayor’s office still deems the funerals of regular people non-essential activity, however,” reported the news outlet.  “When asked whether attendees of non-government funerals in high-risk areas are still required to self-quarantine under the mayor’s order, Castillo responded simply, ‘Yes.’”

“Us peons are the target of the crushing lockdowns and quarantines, along with fines and arrests for violating the pandemic orders from Blue states and cities,” tweeted one critic. 

“The Top Brass of the Marxist/Socialist Democrat Party are exempt and privileged to make up their own rules on the fly!” the critic added. 

“Exempt from quarantine order.  Exempt from social distancing.  Exempt from limited gathering size,” tweeted Paul, a retired military & Afghan veteran and traditional Catholic.  “They can hold a funeral but we can't have more than a handful of mourners for our loved ones.  

“Double standards,” he added.  

“And this is shoved in Americans [sic] faces,” added the Twitter user.  

“Time to make these people follow the same rules that we do. How do they get off making up their own rules for them while they dictate to us what we must do?” asked Twitter user Veronica.  

“Term limits and take away EVERY single perk from them and do it now. They should NOT be making their own rules,” she added. 

“Typical Democrat tyrants,” wrote The Gateway Pundit’s Christina Laila. “Rules for thee, but not for me.”

The Lewis funeral had already come under fire from conservatives for failing to observe so-called social distancing and other measures which they had insisted are necessary for all other funeral services conducted in Georgia and throughout most of the country.  

Images from the service shared to social media show a packed church with many members of the congregation not “social distancing.”