Mask mandates? Supreme Court rejects appeal from Marjorie Taylor Greene, GOP lawmakers

WASHINGTON – Three Republicans who had their pay docked in 2021 for flouting a mask mandate on the floor of the House of Representatives during the COVID pandemic got no help from the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The justices, without comment, declined an appeal from Reps. Tom Massie, Ralph Norman and Marjorie Taylor Greene in their suit against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Lower courts had said Pelosi could not be sued because courts don’t have jurisdiction over Congress’ internal rules.

Lawyers for the current House speaker, Republican Mike Johnson of Louisiana, agreed with that decision. Despite House GOP leaders' opposition to the mask rule, they told the Supreme Court, “this case is not about the wisdom of the rule or whether it was based on sound science.”

Instead, they said, it’s about whether the fines can be contested in court.

The trio of lawmakers challenging their fines had argued that unless the Supreme Court sided with them, lawmakers could continue to be retaliated against for acting “in accordance with the desires of their district rather than the desires of the Speaker of the House.”

The Republicans were disputing a $500 pay deduction for not wearing masks when they voted on the House floor in May of 2021.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court rejects appeal from GOP lawmakers for mask mandate fines