There are 535 members of the United States Congress. All have different experiences with the coronavirus pandemic.
As of press time, currently six members of Congress have come down with the coronavirus: Republicans Mario Diaz-Balart from Florida and Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania; and Democrats Joe Cunningham from South Carolina, Ben McAdams from Utah, and Nydia Velázquez from New York. Only one senator, Kentucky Republican Rand Paul, has tested positive.
Their symptoms range from virtually nonexistent to requiring a hospital stay.
Congressman Cunningham knew something was wrong when he couldn’t taste his wife’s spaghetti. “I thought ‘man this tastes pretty bland’ and I made the mistake of going home and telling her that,” he said to The Wall Street Journal.
The coronavirus has variety of symptoms, including the loss of taste and smell. Regardless, “I’m still apologizing for that one,” he said.
A few members are wearing two hats right now, serving as a member of Congress and the National Guard.
According to Roll Call, eight House members are in the National Guard. Two have been deployed to fight against the coronavirus.
New York Democratic Congressman Max Rose is returning to his home district to serve. Rose is likely the only congressman meeting face-to-face with his constituents, though they may not recognize him in the personal protective equipment.
Florida Republican Congressman and Green Beret Michael Waltz served a shorter stint in Washington, D.C., at a coronavirus testing site.
The duo has the rare duty of seeing firsthand the devastating effects and voting on remedies.
Another unique set of members of Congress are the medical doctors. In total, there are 17 doctors in Congress, with most serving in the House.
Of those doctors, three have formed “a three-point immediate triage response for mass production and restocking” of medical equipment, according to Dr. Raul Ruiz, a California Democratic congressman and emergency room doctor. He is joined by Dr. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican senator and gastroenterologist; and Kim Schrier, a Washington Democratic congresswoman and pediatrician.
Dr. Phil Roe, a Tennessee Republican and physician, told The New York Times, “I spent a career and a lifetime taking care of patients. This ought to be all hands on deck. This is ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ where we both hold hands and jump off together.”
This is also one of the many Western movie references Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, often uses with regard to legislation, most recently the 2018 farm bill.
This week, Senate and House leaders pushed back the date of reconvening from April 20 to May 4. However, I’d be willing to put money on that date being pushed back even further.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the average age of a member of Congress is roughly 60 years. There are several octogenarians serving. There is a lot of risk bringing 535 folks back to Washington.
Lawmakers are grappling with a fourth (and likely not the last) legislative “stimulus” package, after failing to pass one the previous week.
Editor’s note: Seymour Klierly writes Washington Whispers for the Journal from inside the Beltway.
