COVID Comes for Congress, Again

Reps. Barbara Lee and Nicole Malliotakis are the latest lawmakers to announce that they had tested positive for the coronavirus as it infects more in Congress and in governors’ mansions across the country.

Lee, a Democrat from California, said that she tested positive Tuesday, saying that she had mild symptoms but that “it could have been much worse” had she not been vaccinated and boosted. Malliotakis, a Republican from New York, tested positive Monday, and “is feeling well which she attributes to having been vaccinated.”

The two join Democratic Reps. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania and Jason Crow of Colorado, who tested positive Saturday and Sunday, respectively. On the Senate side, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey said they had tested positive for the virus, and both credited the vaccine for their mild symptoms.

Lawmakers are under no obligation to announce a positive test, so others may also have tested positive. Outbreaks have spread to congressional staff, too, with one Republican Senate office even shutting down, according to a source familiar with the matter.

While the Senate is out until Jan. 3 and the House until a week later, it remains unclear whether the positive cases and outbreaks will affect their return.

Governors across the country have also tested positive in recent days. Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz announced that he had contracted the virus on Tuesday while Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said that he tested positive on Monday, with both crediting the vaccine for their mild or asymptomatic cases.