At the very least 4 Home Democrats in fast succession have mentioned that they examined optimistic for the coronavirus after a celebration retreat held final week in Philadelphia.
Consultant Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania introduced her optimistic consequence on Monday; Representatives Zoe Lofgren of California and Kim Schrier of Washington introduced on Sunday, and Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut on Saturday.
All 4 representatives mentioned that they have been vaccinated and boosted, and have been experiencing solely gentle signs. All 4 attended the Home Democratic Caucus’s retreat in Philadelphia final week, in line with an individual in attendance. It was not clear, and tough to know, whether or not they have been every uncovered and contaminated on the gathering, or elsewhere.
Two different Home Democrats who weren’t current on the retreat examined optimistic, the particular person in attendance mentioned. Consultant Gerry Connolly of Northern Virginia mentioned he tested positive for the virus on Friday, and Consultant Peter Welch of Vermont mentioned he received a positive result on Monday.
The retreat was the caucus’s first main in-person occasion in three years. It was supposed to be one thing of a reset for the celebration heading into what is anticipated to be a tough midterm election season. A lot of the celebration’s legislative agenda has been hobbled by dissension between moderates and progressives, difficult by the tenuousness of the Democrats’ maintain on the Senate.
On Wednesday, Home Democrats discovered themselves having to chop $15.6 billion in deliberate funding for President Biden’s pandemic response efforts to safe passage of a necessary spending invoice.
The Home handed the measure, with $1.5 trillion in whole spending, late Wednesday night time. Distant voting was allowed, so it was unclear which members have been bodily current for the vote. Many Democrats then departed for the Philadelphia retreat.
Mr. Biden addressed the gathering in particular person on Friday. Requested at White Home information convention on Monday why he was masked when getting into an occasion earlier within the day, the press secretary, Jen Psaki, mentioned Mr. Biden typically does so if occasion tips require it, however that she would test. She added that the president had acquired a unfavorable virus take a look at consequence on Sunday.
A White Home spokesman, Kevin Munoz, mentioned that not one of the representatives on the retreat have been thought-about shut contacts of the president, and that nothing had modified about his testing cadence.
All members of Congress who have been to attend the gathering, in addition to their workers members and households, have been required to submit P.C.R. or speedy antigen exams earlier than the occasion, in line with protocols shared by the communications director for the caucus. Attendees have been additionally required to take speedy exams of their resort rooms on Thursday and Friday mornings, however masks weren’t required. The masks mandate for the Home ground on the Capitol constructing was dropped in late February, shortly earlier than Mr. Biden’s State of the Union deal with.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, additionally mentioned on Sunday that she had examined optimistic. She didn’t attend the Home Democrats’ retreat.
In all, no less than 100 members of Congress have introduced testing optimistic for the coronavirus because the pandemic started, in line with a tally by Ballotpedia, a nonpartisan election info web site.
Alyssa Lukpat contributed reporting.