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.”
The Federal Reserve Chairman and Treasury Secretary expressed cautious optimism that the U.S. economy is rebounding from the pandemic-induced recession with federal support but that more help from the government is likely needed.
The death toll in the U.S. from the coronavirus has topped 200,000, a figure unimaginable eight months ago when the scourge first reached the world’s richest nation.
Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, joined Cheddar to discuss the history and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and the impact the jurist has had on her own life.
Following the death of Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, President Donald Trump has pledged to nominate another judge to the SCOTUS. Rep. Matt Gaetz joined Cheddar to discuss the process and whether or not a new Justice should be named.
Facebook has helped 2.5 million people to register to vote. The social platform has rolled out a voting information center that users can go for everything voting related.
The DOJ identified three cities that could have federal funding slashed under a memorandum by President Donald Trump that sought to identify localities that permit "anarchy, violence and destruction in American cities."
