COVID-19 in Congress
We’re tracking the impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, on the operations of Congress. Below you’ll find information on:
- Members of Congress who are or have been quarantined, tested positive for COVID-19, or came in contact with someone with COVID-19
- Proxy voting in the House
Quarantined and Sick Legislators
In all, representatives and senators self-quarantined or took other action, or no action, after coming in contact with someone with COVID-19 or testing positive for COVID-19 themselves — some multiple times.
In the Senate, .... In the House, ....
In the charts below, the duration of each self-quarantine is indicated.
| Date | Legislator | Event | Action | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/9/20 | Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-1) | contact with CPAC attendee who tested positive | self-quarantined until 3/12/2020, tested negative | tweet tweet |
| 3/9/20 | Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantined until 3/18/2020, DC office to telework | tweet tweet |
| 3/9/20 | Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) | contact with two people who tested positive at different times | self-quarantined, extended quarantine after found out about contact with second person who tested positive, tested negative, exited quarantine 3/17/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/9/20 | Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-1) | contact | took no action | tweet |
| 3/9/20 | Rep. Doug Collins (GA-9) | contact | self-quarantined until 3/12/2020 | tweet |
| 3/9/20 | Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-4) | contact | self-quarantined until 3/13/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/9/20 | Rep. Mark Meadows (NC-11) | contact with CPAC attendee who tested positive | self-quarantined until 3/12/2020 | tweet news story |
| 3/10/20 | Rep. Donald Beyer (VA-8) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantined until 3/16/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/11/20 | Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA) | DC staffer tested positive | DC office to telework | tweet |
| 3/12/20 | Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH) | staffer in another senator’s office tested positive | DC office to telework | press release |
| 3/12/20 | Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) | energy staff? | DC office to telework | tweet |
| 3/12/20 | Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantined until 3/16/2020; tested negative | tweet tweet |
| 3/12/20 | Sen. Marco Rubio (FL) | contact | took no action yet | tweet |
| 3/12/20 | Sen. Rick Scott (FL) | contact with someone who tested positive | exited self-quarantine 3/23/2020 | tweet interview tweet |
| 3/15/20 | Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-6) | DC staffer tested positive | DC office to telework | tweet |
| 3/15/20 | Sen. Ron Johnson (WI) | contact with someone who tested positive | took no action | tweet |
| 3/15/20 | Rep. John Yarmuth (KY-3) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/23/2020; tested negative | tweet tweet |
| 3/15/20 | Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-28) | contact with someone who tested positive | said he self-quarantined until "a few days ago" on 3/27/2020 | tweet |
| 3/16/20 | Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-4) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/23/2020 | tweet |
| 3/16/20 | Rep. Ben Luján (NM-3) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/30/2020 | tweet |
| 3/16/20 | Sen. Tom Carper (DE) | district staffer tested positive | DC and district staff self-isolating | tweet |
| 3/17/20 | Sen. Cory Gardner (CO) | contact with someone who tested positive | exited self-quarantine 3/25/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/17/20 | Rep. Jason Crow (CO-6) | contact with a constituent who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/25/2020 | tweet |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-8) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/29/2020 | tweet |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/28/2020 | tweet |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Ben McAdams (UT-4) | tested positive | exited self-quarantine 3/30/2020 having been declared "virus free" by doctors | tweet interview |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Drew Ferguson (GA-3) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/27/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Steve Scalise (LA-1) | contact with Diaz-Balart | self-quarantine until possibly 4/1/2020, two weeks after the announcement | tweet |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-2) | contact with (presumably) Diaz-Balart | exited self-quarantine by 4/3/2020 when she delivered food donations in person | tweet tweet |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-7) | contact with Diaz-Balart | exited self-quarantine 3/29/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/18/20 | Rep. Kathleen Rice (NY-4) | contact with someone who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/27/2020 | tweet |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Kendra Horn (OK-5) | contact with McAdams | self-quarantine until possibly 4/2/2020, two weeks after the announcement | tweet |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Frederica Wilson (FL-24) | contact with Diaz-Balart | exited self-quarantine 4/5/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Joe Cunningham (SC-1) | contact with another legislator who tested positive, then tested positive himself | exited self-quarantine 4/1//2020 | tweet tweet news |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Tom Cole (OK-4) | contact with Diaz-Balart | exited self-quarantine 3/28/2020 | tweet press release |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Anthony Brindisi (NY-22) | contact with McAdams | self-quarantine until 3/27/2020 | tweet |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. David Price (NC-4) | contact with another legislator who tested positive | self-quarantine until 3/25/2020 | tweet |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-3) | contact with another legislator who tested positive | exited self-quarantine 3/26/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) | contact with another legislator who tested positive | exited self-quarantine 3/25/2020; tested negative; maintaining social distancing | tweet press release |
| 3/19/20 | Rep. Andy Kim (NJ-3) | contact with another legislator who tested positive | self-quarantine until 4/2/2020 | tweet |
| 3/22/20 | Sen. Rand Paul (KY) | tested positive | exited self-quarantine 4/5/2020 | tweet news |
| 3/22/20 | Sen. Mike Lee (UT) | contact with Rand Paul | exited self-quarantine 4/5/2020 | tweet news |
| 3/22/20 | Sen. Mitt Romney (UT) | contact with Rand Paul | exited self-quarantine 4/5/2020, tested negative | tweet news news |
| 3/24/20 | Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) | contact with a doctor who tested positive | self-quarantine until 4/7/2020 | tweet |
| 3/25/20 | Rep. Katie Porter (CA-45) | unknown | self-quarantine; end date uncertain; test results negative | tweet tweet |
| 3/25/20 | Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-6) | unknown | self-quarantine; end date uncertain | tweet |
| 3/25/20 | Sen. John Thune (SD) | unknown | self-quarantine; end date uncertain | news article |
| 3/25/20 | Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7) | unknown | self-quarantine; end date uncertain | tweet |
| 3/26/20 | Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7) | unknown | self-quarantine; end date uncertain; tested negative on 3/31/2020 | news article |
| 3/27/20 | Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-16) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 4/10/2020 | press release |
| 3/30/20 | Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-7) | diagnosed with presumed coronavirus infection | self-quarantine until 4/13/2020; she will not get a test | tweet |
| 4/5/20 | Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) | spouse has confirmed case | self-quarantine until 4/19/2020 at least; will be tested | news article |
| 4/6/20 | Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-2) | tested positive | self-quarantine until at least 4/20/2020 | news |
| 5/11/20 | Sen. Lamar Alexander (TN) | staff member tested positive | self-quarantine until 5/25/2020 | news |
| 6/15/20 | Rep. Tom Rice (SC-7) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 6/29/2020 | news |
| 7/8/20 | Rep. Randy Weber (TX-14) | apparent exposure to someone positive | self-quarantine June 29 - July 3 | tweet |
| 7/14/20 | Rep. Morgan Griffith (VA-9) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 8/1/2020 | tweet |
| 7/29/20 | Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX-1) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 8/12/2020 | news |
| 7/29/20 | Rep. Kay Granger (TX-12) | exposed by Rep. Gohmert; results negative as of 7/31/2020 | self-quarantine until 8/12/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 7/29/20 | Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-4) | exposed by Rep. Gohmert | self-quarantine until 8/12/2020 | tweet |
| 7/29/20 | Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3) | tested positive after exposure by Rep. Gohmert | self-quarantine until 8/12/2020 | tweet tweet |
| 7/31/20 | Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) | exposed by Rep. Gohmert | self-quarantine until 8/14/2020 | tweet |
| 7/29/20 | Rep. Jody Hice (GA-10) | exposed by Rep. Gohmert | self-quarantine until 8/12/2020 | tweet |
| 8/5/20 | Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 8/19/2020 | tweet |
| 8/20/20 | Sen. Bill Cassidy (LA) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 9/3/2020 | news |
| 8/22/20 | Rep. Dan Meuser (PA-9) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 9/5/2020 | press release |
| 8/25/20 | Commish. Jenniffer González-Colón (PR) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 9/8/2020 | tweet |
| 9/15/20 | Sen. Shelley Capito (WV) | exposure to someone positive | self-quarantine until 9/29/2020 | news |
| 9/17/20 | Sen. Ron Johnson (WI) | exposure to someone positive | self-quarantine until 9/29/2020 | news |
| 9/20/20 | Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-5) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 10/4/2020 | news |
| 10/2/20 | Rep. Lisa Rochester (DE-0) | exposure at first 2020 Presidential debate | self-quarantine until 10/13/2020 | tweet |
| 10/2/20 | Sen. Mike Lee (UT) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 10/12/2020 | tweet |
| 10/2/20 | Sen. Thom Tillis (NC) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 10/12/2020 | tweet |
| 10/2/20 | Sen. Ben Sasse (NE) | exposure at White House event on 9/25/20 | self-quarantine until 10/12/2020 | tweet |
| 10/3/20 | Sen. Ron Johnson (WI) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 10/17/2020 | news |
| 10/3/20 | Sen. James Lankford (OK) | exposed to Sen. Lee, tested negative on 10/3/2020 | self-quarantine until 10/12/2020 | tweet |
| 10/3/20 | Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) | contact with Sen. Lee | self-quarantine until 10/12/2020 | news |
| 10/3/20 | Rep. Mike Johnson (LA-4) | exposed at Amy Coney Barrett event on 9/25/2020 | self-quarantine until 10/10/2020 | news |
| 10/7/20 | Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 10/21/2020 | tweet |
| 10/8/20 | Rep. Mike Bost (IL-22) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 10/22/2020 | tweet |
| 10/15/20 | Sen. Kamala Harris (CA) | campaign staffers tested positive; Harris says no direct contact with them | self-quarantine until 10/19/2020 | news |
| 10/15/20 | Rep. Bill Huizenga (MI-2) | tested positive | self-quarantine until 10/29/2020 | news |
Proxy Voting in the House of Representatives
At the peak of the virus’s spread in March 2020 before Congress went on recess, 22 representatives, and slightly earlier 6 senators, were simultaneously self-quarantining. Both the House and Senate have adapted their procedures to keep legislators and support staff safe while also keeping Congress operational.
On May 15, the House passed a rules change to allow proxy voting for floor votes and remote committee committee meetings during this pandemic (see the committee report for further background). Then, pursuant to the new rules, on May 19 the House’s Office of Attending Physician and Sergeant at Arms determined the existence of a “public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus,” which triggered the beginning of proxy voting rules. Under the rules for proxy voting, representatives may designate another representative as their proxy in advance of votes in a letter to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and must give their proxy exact instructions on how to vote.
In the Senate, although no proxy voting is allowed for floor votes, some Senate committees have begun holding some meetings with senators participating remotely. And while not yet used, existing Senate rules may permit voting by proxy in committee.
Legislators voting on the House floor by proxy
The following 49 legislators are currently voting by proxy:
Proxies for House legislators
The following list is the same information as above but grouped by proxy legislator. A legislator may be a proxy for up to ten legislators.
