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.”
Presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard joined families of 9/11 victims and first responders Tuesday as she called on the Trump administration and the FBI to release documents that she said could implicate Saudi Arabia for its role in the attacks.
In mid-September, the White House revoked a waiver that allows California to implement stricter emission standards than what the federal government puts forward under the Clean Air Act.
Hong Kong Financial Secretary Paul Chan stated official quarterly GDP figures would be released Thursday, but that preliminary analysis shows consecutive economic contractions.
The governor on Tuesday called on the state's attorney general to investigate why drivers in the Golden State are being forced to shell out $1.50 more than the average U.S. driver.
Ohio nearly purged over 200,000 of active voters from polls and one in five people on that list should not have been there. Jen Miller, Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio joins Cheddar via phone to discuss how she is fighting to prove the state of Ohio was wrong to remove some of those people on the list.
