There is no required regular testing for members of Congress despite recent positive diagnoses for President Donald Trump and a handful of senators.
Iowa’s members of Congress and their staffs experienced no new infections as the coronavirus spread through the White House and the halls of Congress during the past week, they told the Des Moines Register. But, they’re also not being tested regularly. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat, are the only members of Iowa’s six-person delegation to take a coronavirus test recently, and both told the Register they tested negative. Finkenauer’s office said a state-based member of her staff tested positive early in the pandemic. The rest of Iowa’s delegation did not report any other positive cases among staff members. None said their staffs were regularly tested. The Capitol’s top doctor announced last week his office would implement a new COVID-19 testing strategy that allows for more testing for members of congress or staffers who request it. But there is no required regular testing despite recent positive diagnoses for President Donald Trump and a handful of senators. In contrast, Iowa State University football players are being tested three times each week, including a rapid-result test every Friday. Players must test negative before boarding a plane to travel to away games or playing at home. Here’s how each congressional office responded to the Register’s request for comment. “Senator Ernst and her staff follow the advice of the Senate attending physician and the CDC guidelines for testing and other safety precautions,” spokesperson Kelsi Daniell said in a statement. “No one is positive.” Ernst and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley attended a Judiciary Committee meeting last week with U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, who later tested positive for the virus. Afterward, Ernst’s campaign officials said she tested negative for the virus before appearing at an in-person debate with Democrat Theresa Greenfield.
