Exclusive – Kamala Harris demands COVID tests for anyone over the age of two to participate in Senate swearing-in photos

Vice President Kamala Harris is asking any senator or a senator’s family member or guest wishing to take a photo with her at Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony for the new Congress to test negative for coronavirus within 24 hours after the photo, Breitbart News has learned.

The U.S. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Protocol Office issued a message to all Senate offices on Thursday noting that Harris’ office requires coronavirus testing before taking pictures with the vice president.

“The Office of the Vice President has requested that we send their standard COVID-19 protocol information to offices participating in the replenishment opportunity in the Old Senate Chamber. Please see their suggested process below,” the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Protocol Office said in the email obtained by Breitbart News. “We look forward to welcoming all senators and their families for the reenactment occasion on January 3. »

The email forwarded a message sent by Grisella Martinez, the legislative affairs director for the vice president’s office, in which Harris’ top executive relayed the coronavirus testing requirements.

“We look forward to welcoming your senator on January 3, 2023 to the replenishment ceremony for incoming and newly re-elected senators in the Old Senate Chamber,” Martinez wrote. “As you know, White House COVID-19 protocols require that anyone over the age of two who will interact with the Vice President take a physician-administered antigen test within 24 hours of the interaction and receives a negative result. This policy applies regardless of vaccination status.

Martinez continued his message by noting that incoming and outgoing senators, their spouses and “and other guests who will participate in the swearing-in ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber” may take a coronavirus antigen test on morning of January 1. 3, 2023, at a U.S. Senate office building or “submit negative results of a medically administered test emailed to” an email address specified by the White House by 9 a.m. Jan. 3 – and that the test must be taken “within 24 hours before 1 p.m. on January 3, 2023.”

At the start of a new Congress, senators are formally sworn in, then there is a separate re-enactment ceremony where senators take photos with the Vice President of the United States whose constitutional duties include presiding over the upper house of Congress. . Often families and close friends of senators also attend the ceremonies, including their spouses, children and grandchildren. Many senators have young children and grandchildren, and several U.S. Senate sources told Breitbart News they were uncomfortable with these coronavirus testing requirements for young family members.

“Many years into the pandemic, especially since the Biden administration is currently in court trying to argue that the pandemic is over and that they should be allowed to lift the authority of Title 42 at the border, it’s more than ridiculous,” said a source close to a senator. told Breitbart News. “The children and grandchildren of senators should not be subjected to this madness so that Kamala can pretend to care about the fight against the coronavirus. When does the madness stop?

Some senators, according to sources familiar with the matter, are apparently so upset they may not attend the photo ceremony with Harris and may instead snub the vice president on the first day of the new Congress.