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A short time later, Connecticut Democrat Jim Himes tweeted a photo that showed Gaetz seated in a chair in the House chamber ahead of the vote.

You won’t believe the shoes Matt Gaetz is wearing today. #FloridaMan pic.twitter.com/VmFN7t0fjq

— Jim Himes (@jahimes) March 4, 2020

Just before the vote, Gaetz, not hiding his disgust, referred to the House floor as a \"Petri dish.\"

\"Essentially the floor of the Congress is a Petri dish. We all fly into these dirty airports, we touch and selfie everyone we meet, and then we congregate together,\" Gaetz said.

A statement from Gaetz's office added, \"If there’s anybody that’s going to get coronavirus it’s going to be the United States Congress. House rules do not explicitly allow medical headgear even at this time of heightened concern. This is a rule that should be revisited.\"

\"PHOTO:
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images
PHOTO: Reps. Matt Gaetz, center, and Andy Biggs arrive for a Congressional briefing in the Capitol Visitor Center about the coronavirus outbreak on March 4, 2020.
>

Asked if leadership is considering closing parts of the Capitol to the public, Gaetz replied, \"I've been in support of closing a good amount of Congress for quite some time.\"

The vote passed 415 to 2, with Gaetz voting in favor with most of his Republican and Democratic colleagues.

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