Scoop: McCarthy says Pelosi may cap State of Union crowd

• A Pelosi spokesman said no final decisions have been made.
• The spokesman said the Speaker's Office "will work closely with the Office of the Attending Physician to accommodate as many Member requests as safely possible."
• Biden’s Joint Address last year was attended by 55 House Democrats and 25 House Republicans, along with 35 Senate Democrats and 25 Senate Republicans, according to a Capitol official.

Driving the news: McCarthy told members of the Republican leadership that Pelosi told him she was instituting a 25-member attendance cap, two sources in the room told Axios.

• McCarthy and other Republican leaders were frustrated by the declaration.
• McCarthy noted Democrats fly on planes with more people than they planned to allow on the floor, a person in the room told Axios.
• A McCarthy spokesperson declined to comment.

Flashback: Biden’s Joint Address also was made under strict COVID protocols.

• On the eve of his 100th day in office, he spoke to a socially distanced audience of roughly 200 individuals.
• In included a smattering of senators, Cabinet members, Pentagon officials and members of the Supreme Court.

The big picture: The talk of an attendance limit comes amid a raft of new restrictions in the House aimed at combating the highly infectious Omicron variant, which has caused a surge of coronavirus cases.

• Members have been asked to vote quickly, avoid congregating on the floor and wear KN95 masks rather than cloth or surgical masks.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with details about last year's attendees at the Joint Session of Congress.