McCarthy Accuses CDC of Becoming 'Political Arm' of Biden Administration

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is doubling down on his opposition to new masks guidance on Capitol Hill.

"The CDC has become a political arm of the administration," said McCarthy Thursday surrounded by his Republican colleagues in front of the Capitol steps.

"It wants to control every element of our life. What's interesting, we stand out here in front of the Capitol by the chambers of the House, but as you look across on the other steps, is the Senate. I'm not quite sure where the CDC got, but somewhere in the middle of that dome, the science changes."

This comes as the CDC cited troubling new, thus far unpublished research that found that fully vaccinated people can spread the delta variant just like the unvaccinated, putting those who haven’t received the shots or who have compromised immune systems at heightened risk.

The CDC also recommended that all teachers, staff and students wear masks inside school buildings, regardless of vaccination status.

On Capitol Hill, some Republicans then voiced their revolt after the Capitol’s attending physician sent a memo informing members that masks would again have to be worn inside the House at all times.

"They can take the nation's Capitol and in one building tell you the science is different on one side to the other," said McCarthy. "They could do the same throughout the nation and they will. The Republican Congress will not allow this to happen."

The nation is averaging nearly 62,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and the vast majority of those hospitalized and dying haven’t been vaccinated.

As of Sunday, 69% of American adults had received one vaccine dose, and 60% had been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Last year, early on in the pandemic, public health officials told Americans that masks offered little protection against the virus (and could even increase the risk of infection).

The guidance was driven by a lack of knowledge about how the novel virus spread and a desire to save limited mask supplies for medical workers. But the CDC soon changed course and advised Americans to wear masks indoors and outdoors if they were within 6 feet (1.8 meters) of one another.

Then in April of this year, as vaccination rates rose sharply, the agency eased its guidelines, saying fully vaccinated Americans no longer needed to wear masks outdoors unless they were in big crowds of strangers.

In May, the guidance was eased further, saying fully vaccinated people could safely stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

Subsequent CDC guidance said fully vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks at schools, either.

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