Pelosi Sparks Criticism For Visiting San Francisco Hair Salon Against Local Health Orders

TOPLINE

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to violate local health orders on Tuesday by visiting a shuttered hair salon in San Francisco, drawing condemnation from Republicans.

KEY FACTS

Chief critic

Republicans called Pelosi a hypocrite, especially because she has been outspoken about other members of Congress wearing masks and following coronavirus guidelines. 

“Speaker Pelosi has pushed policies that would keep our economy closed and our small businesses shut down. But for herself? A salon visit whenever she pleases,” Senate Republicans tweeted.

Key background

Hair salons and barber shops in San Francisco have been closed since March, and were only allowed to reopen for outdoor service on Tuesday. Though state rules do allow for hair salons to operate indoors, localities can impose stricter restrictions, which San Francisco has done. The city plans to allow indoor service at salons with limited capacity by the end of the month. The beauty industry has pushed back hard against the closures. Fred Jones, legal counsel for the Professional Beauty Federation of California, said in a statement last week that giving local officials “ultimate veto over our STATE licensed industry is unworkable.”

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus