Congress considers required testing

Congressional leaders said Friday they are taking a fresh look at requiring virus testing on Capitol Hill after President Donald Trump’s virus infection revived fears of an outbreak in the close, increasingly tense quarters of the House and Senate.

Just hours after news of Trump’s diagnosis shook Washington and the 2020 campaign, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, became the latest member of Congress to test positive for the virus that has killed more than 205,000 Americans. Each had appeared publicly without masks at various events; Lee attended the introduction Saturday of Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett.

“We simply cannot allow the administration’s cavalier attitude to adversely affect this branch of government,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement. “It is imperative that all results be made public in order to contain a possible outbreak and so we can determine the need for senators and staff to quarantine or self-isolate.”

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said he spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Friday about boosting or requiring testing in the Capitol.

“We haven’t made a decision on that. In light of that we need to consult with our medical people,” Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters. He said one concern was doing reliable tests.

Later, Pelosi’s office referred to a statement from the Capitol physician reiterating the current policy.