The Big Board in the H Street neighborhood of Washington, D.C. was given a notice by city health officials Tuesday that the establishment was being shut down due to its “disobedience of COVID-19 guidelines,” according to FOX News.
DC bars and restaurants that don’t enforce mask or vaccine rules get two warnings—the first verbal and the second written. On the third strike, businesses will face a $1,000 fine, then a $2,000 fine for an additional infraction. After a fifth violation, establishments will go before the DC liquor board, which has the power to suspend or revoke its liquor license, according to The Washingtonian.
The Big Board had its liquor license suspended Friday by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) after it was determined it had violated public health guidelines, such as enforcing masks for its employees and checking patrons’ vaccine cards, FOX notes.
Before its Tuesday notice, the bar was visited a week prior by a number of Republican lawmakers, including Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Thomas Massie (R-KY-04), Texas Representative Ronny Jackson (R-TX-13), Oklahoma Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK-01), and Indiana Representative Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05), according to the Daily Caller.
Burchett reacted to the sudden closure of the D.C. bar, writing on Twitter, “Cancel vaccine mandates, not @thebigboarddc.”
Cancel vaccine mandates, not @thebigboarddc. https://t.co/MZuAm58PKE
— Rep. Tim Burchett (@RepTimBurchett) February 2, 2022
Spartz also reacted to the news, writing on Twitter, “Great to meet Eric from @thebigboarddc which is being shut down because he refused to give in to DC’s Soviet-style vax ID mandate. We applaud your fight for freedom, Eric! Great burgers & company!”
Great to meet Eric from @thebigboarddc which is being shut down because he refused to give in to DC’s Soviet-style vax ID mandate. We applaud your fight for freedom, Eric! Great burgers & company! @SenRandPaul, @RepThomasMassie, @RepRonnyJackson, @repkevinhern, & @RepTimBurchett. pic.twitter.com/sPba0C4PLQ
— Rep. Victoria Spartz (@RepSpartz) February 2, 2022
The Daily Caller Senior Congressional Correspondent Henry Rodgers started a GoFundMe page to help pay the restaurant’s fines and legal fees. The campaign raised more than $31,000 so far.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Tim Burchett and Other Representatives” by Victoria Spartz.
