Mask Requirements, Covid Tests Mark Biden’s State of the Union

Attendees who break rules could be fined, removed from event
Attendance limited to lawmakers, media, some staffers

Joe Biden speaks during a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2021.
Photographer: Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg

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By Billy House

February 17, 2022 at 9:02 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

All members of Congress will be allowed to attend President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address, but they must follow Covid-19 health guidelines, including masking, or risk being tossed from the event and fined.

A memo Thursday by House Sergeant at Arms William Walker lays out the rules for the March 1 address to a joint session of Congress, including limiting lawmakers to one non-transferable ticket and requiring they attest to negative Covid-19 results.