Congress a mirror of American society: REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

The delta variant surges. Cases are increasing, even among those vaccinated. People are getting sick.

Congress is a mirror of American society.

Representatives room was out of session at the end of July. But the Senate met in early August, working on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget framework for a massive social spending plan.

Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., tested positive on August 2. Graham became the first senator to test positive for COVID-19 since Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla., November 20, 2020.

But then came August 19. The Senate had concluded his business for a truncated August break on August 12. But on August 19, Sense. Roger wicker, R-Miss., Angus King, I-Maine and John Hickenlooper, R-Colo., Tested positive the same day. All have been vaccinated.

The United States Capitol actually has one of the highest vaccination rates for any work place in America once you factor in lawmakers, assistants, on-call staff, U.S. Capitol Police officers , repairers, journalists, etc. But like much of the country, the House began to see an increase in breakthrough infections in mid-July. Representative Vern Buchanan, R-FL, tested positive on July 19. Buchanan became the first member of the House to test positive since Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., On January 29. Then a wave of House members followed with positive COVID-19 results: Reps Barry Moore, R-Ala., Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Mike Doyle D-Penn., Tested positive a few more days early this month.

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A grand total of 33 members of the 117th Congress have now tested positive. Eleven alone since mid-July. Most members are vaccinated. This means that most of those who contract COVID-19 face breakthrough infections.

All of this is consistent with what we see in the general population. However, a key difference and a risk for lawmakers is that they regularly travel back and forth between their districts and states. They naturally meet a lot of other people and engage with voters at events – though some are still limited. Thus, the potential for infection is significant among lawmakers because of the nature of their work.

Lawmakers and some staff received the first wave of vaccines as part of a national security “continuity of government” effort starting late last year and ending in January. Fox Some of these immunocompromised lawmakers and assistants are said to be already receiving booster shots on Capitol Hill through the Capitol Attending Physician’s Office. Others will be eligible for recalls on September 20. In recent weeks, some senior assistants have been told that the Office of the Employment Counselors may well make a decision in the coming days regarding imposing a vaccination warrant for those working on Capitol Hill.

Things “seem” as if they are “kinda,” back to normal (whatever) on Capitol Hill. But they really aren’t. The rest of the company is partly hybrid now. So is Congress. Masks virtually disappeared in Congress when vaccinations peaked in May and June. The cases fell precipitously. But now about 60-70% of all people who walk on Capitol Hill are back wearing masks – whether they are lawmakers, congressional assistants, or others. A higher percentage of Democrats or those who work for the Democrats wear masks. Republicans, not that much. Older workers tend to be seen more masked than younger ones on Capitol Hill.

This is why Capitol Hill is often a perfect mirror of the rest of society.

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But even though things are semi-normal in Congress, some things are still not back to where they were at the start of March 2020. It can be a good thing. The hearings in the House and the Senate are mostly hybrid. The staff are back. Some offices more than others. Some assistants only come when they are physically needed to be on Capitol Hill. Otherwise, they work from home. There are still no public tours of the Capitol. The last public tour of the Capitol left the building in mid-March 2020.

Press conferences are held in person. But the journalists’ chairs are now grouped together. Things are no longer dispersed and socially distanced. Motionless photographers walk the ground to take photos of lawmakers at a press conference. Before, there was a rotation system for photographers, sliding on the carpet of the studio House Radio-TV Gallery, between pieces of tape. It looked like a version of adults playing a kindergarten game.

With the rise of the virus, it is questionable whether so many people should congregate in common workspaces in many places on Capitol Hill. After all, that was the approach when the virus really started to spread last summer. So why not impose similar rules now?

Well, like the rest of America during the pandemic, Capitol Hill is also a mishmash of rules. Masks in some places. No masks in others. Some assistants take a lot of precautions. Others throw caution to the wind. If America is “living with the pandemic” then the halls of Congress reflect a similar attitude.

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As schools encounter fights for masks and quarantines, the same is likely to be true on Capitol Hill. Masks were required on the house floor for months. Then the House relaxed the rule. Now, masks are mandatory again. The House can impose fines on Members who do not comply. Republicans have certainly stirred up the anti-max crowd. A Capitol Police memo suggested they would arrest assistants if they weren’t wearing masks. In a bid to tarnish Pelosi ahead of the 2022 midterms, Republicans pinned the alleged threats on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-California, suggesting that the potential mask arrests were part of his “dictatorial” control of the House.

But new Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger dispelled these notions. Manger said officers would enforce the warrant but there was no goal of arresting anyone.

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Yet, there is no evidence that Capitol Police officers are threatening to arrest anyone working on Capitol Hill with masks.

The House was there for a few days last week. The Senate is absent until mid-September. Most House members will not return to Washington until September 20. After lawmakers meet in person, could business soon increase on Capitol Hill? And what does that mean for the fall, when the members are back together?

Most schools have started over. Many schools report high positivity rates and quarantines. Of course, children under 12 are not eligible for the vaccine. But Congress reflects society. And with the COVID outbreak in schools and across the country, it’s possible that Capitol Hill will also end up with a plethora of cases when lawmakers return.