Coronavirus has hit Capitol Hill, as the first members of Congress have tested positive for the virus.
Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) announced diagnoses late Wednesday. Diaz-Balart’s office said he had developed symptoms Saturday evening and was notified Wednesday of a positive test. Both had voted on the House floor as recently as Saturday morning, to pass the coronavirus relief bill.
Rep. Ben McAdams, D-Utah (Left), Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla. (Right)
At least five other members of Congress are quarantining because they had contact with the lawmakers, including Rep. Steve Scalise, the second-highest ranking Republican in the House.
Some lawmakers had been pushing for ways to vote remotely, particularly since congressional members are disproportionately in higher-risk categories for coronavirus complications. Forty-eight senators are over the age of 65, the age at which some states have recommended individuals to stay inside their homes.
Senator Dick Durban (D-Ill.) has said “it’s time for the Senate to wake up to the 21st century and make sure we’re using technology that allows us to communicate with each other without any danger or risk to public health.”
Semiconductors are essential in industries such as defense, automobiles, and telecom. Cheddar assembled a timeline of the chip shortage stretching back to the pre-Covid economy.
Jared Berstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, joined Cheddar about what's at stake for the economy despite a positive February jobs report.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits edged higher last week to 745,000, a sign that many employers continue to cut jobs despite a drop in confirmed viral infections and evidence that the overall economy is improving.
Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla. 3rd District), spoke to Cheddar regarding her concerns about spending priorities and the price tag of the latest COVID relief bill being put forth by Democrats.
Former Department of Homeland Security acting secretary under Trump, Chad Wolf, talked to Cheddar about domestic terrorism, border control, and cybersecurity.
Mario Schlosser, CEO and co-founder of Oscar Health, spoke to Cheddar about the future of healthcare and insurance in the United States after the company went public.
A Democratic official says President Joe Biden and Senate Democrats have agreed to tighten the upper-income limits at which people could qualify for stimulus checks in the party's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill.
