California Rep. Tom McClintock, a Republican who represents a rural area of the state including Yosemite National Park, took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday to blast Gov. Gavin Newsom’s increasing public health restrictions.
He began his speech by mocking the overnight stay-at-home order, which covers most of the state. The curfew orders residents to end gatherings before 10 p.m.
"Governor Newsom made a groundbreaking discovery regarding COVID-19 last week. Apparently it has learned to tell time. Thus acting under the strictest of scientific standards, he’s ordered Californians to run home before 10 p.m., lock their doors and hide from this insidious virus until daybreak," he said. "Unfortunately COVID doesn’t seem to be following the curfew."
Public health experts, including leading infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, have said data suggests curfews have worked in other countries, as people tend to let their guards down and engage in riskier behaviors when socializing late at night.
Rep. McClintock cited statistics showing the majority of people recover from the virus and called lockdowns a mistake, driven by needless fear.
"Every time in history that this has happened, there’s always a moment when the fear fever breaks and the hysteria suddenly burns itself out. The French Revolution, the Salem Witch Trials, the Communist hysteria of the 1950’s, all had a moment when the absurdity of it all became so apparent that it overcame the fear and the people turned on their tormentors."
He encouraged small business owners to buck restrictions and parents to confront school officials about closures.
"Every shopkeeper who defies these petty tyrants, every parent who confronts their school officials, every person who refuses to submit to the dysfunctional, dystopian world created by the lockdown left brings us one step closer to that turning point. It can’t come soon enough."
McClintock’s comments came a day after California reported 20,759 new cases, shattering its previous record for the number of new coronavirus cases recorded in a single day by more than 2,000 cases.
Hospitals and ICU beds are also filling up around the state, with most regions having less than 20% ICU capacity remaining.
