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.”
Cheddar's Megan Pratz was serving as Vice President Mike Pence's pool reporter as news broke that members of his team tested positive for the coronavirus.
Big tech CEOs are gearing up to testify in Washington as lawmakers prepare to take action on tech liability. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Cheddar to discuss.
Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat, joined Cheddar to discuss what he feels is the need for Joe Biden to win the November election as the country faces the climate crisis.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has declared Japan will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050 in his first policy speech since taking over from Shinzo Abe.
Amy Coney Barrett is headed to to the Supreme Court. The Senate has confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee, with Republicans overpowering Democratic opposition a week before Election Day.
Deaths per day from the coronavirus in the U.S. are on the rise again, just as health experts had feared, and cases are climbing in nearly every state, despite assurances from President Donald Trump over the weekend.
The United States is approaching a record for the number of new daily coronavirus cases in the latest ominous sign of the disease’s grip on the nation.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
