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.”
President Donald Trump’s Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C. this year has been heavily criticized, with opponents objecting to what they view as gauche militarism and slamming the White House for politicizing the nation’s birthday.
The group’s existence comes amid widespread outrage over the treatment of migrants at the southern border, including deaths of multiple people held in custody, the separation of children from their parents, and reports of inhumane conditions at detention centers.
The Senator from California who notably took the former VP to task during the Democratic Primary debates, saw a surge in multiple polls raising her profile for the 2020 presidential election.
President Donald Trump made history on Sunday, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea. Yet his brief handshake with North Korean leader Chairman Kim Jong-un just across the 38th parallel has been criticised as a media stunt and has drawn the ire of political opponents.
