Five Democrat legislators from Texas, who fled to Washington, D.C. last week in a denial-of-quorum attack on the state government, have tested positive for COVID-19. The first three of the Texas Democrats to test positive for COVID-19 were reported on Saturday. They were followed by the other two positive tests on Sunday.
At this point, the group is reportedly suffering only mild or no symptoms from the Chinese virus: “All of the [House Democratic Caucus] Members who tested positive are feeling good, with no symptoms or only mild symptoms.”
The five representatives are among nearly 60 Democrats who fled Texas in order to stall a vote on a new Texas election integrity bill, which the caucus claims would “trample on Texans’ freedom to vote.”
The Texas Democrats who are all reportedly fully vaccinated. Trey Martinez Fisher of San Antonio shared his diagnosis on Twitter.
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“This morning, I received a positive COVID-19 rapid antigen test result. I am fully vaccinated, and had tested negative on Friday and Saturday. I am quarantining until I test negative, and I am grateful to be only experiencing extremely mild symptoms.”
Representative Celia Israel of Austin also shared her diagnosis with followers on Twitter: “Yesterday, I tested positive for COVID-19. What this highlights is the risk every @TexasHDC member continues to face to defend the state we love and the Texans we represent.”
A widely distributed photo of the group shows them sitting on a private jet — grinning and mask-less — as they embark for Washington, D.C., to meet with like-minded Democrats. Among those they have met with in the last week was Vice-President Kamala Harris.
In a Saturday statement from Symone Sanders — a Harris spokesperson — the vice-president was “not at risk of exposure.”
“Based on the timeline of these positive tests, it was determined the Vice President and her staff present at the meeting were not at risk of exposure because they were not in close contact with those who tested positive and therefore do not need to be tested or quarantined,” Sanders said in a statement.
But that statement was from Saturday. There is no word yet as to whether Harrris was in “close contact” with the others who have tested positive for the Chinese virus.
The group also met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. In addition, they met with Democrat Senator Joe Manchin in an attempt to entice the centrist to back getting rid of the filibuster in the U.S. Senate.
Social distancing and mask-wearing were reportedly not followed at any of these events.
Republican House Speaker in Texas Dade Phelan extended his “prayers for safety and health” to his Democrat colleagues in a statement on Saturday.
“My staff has reached out to Dr. John Hellerstedt, Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, and his epidemiology team for any additional guidance on protocols for those exposed to COVID-19 post-vaccination,” Phelan’s statement read.
Earlier in the week, Phelan announced that he had reserved a private plane to take the Democrats home should they have a change of heart about doing their job: “In an effort to further compel House Democrats to return to the State of Texas, I am chartering a plane that will be on standby in Washington, D.C. on Saturday,” Phelan said in a statement. “I am demanding all of our colleagues in D.C. to contact my staff immediately in order to secure their seat on the plane and return to Austin in order to do the state’s business. The State of Texas is waiting.”
In a statement, the chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, Chris Turner, said that the fugitive members of the state legislature who are in Washington are following CDC guidelines on how to proceed. Measures include daily tests for members of the caucus and any staff members who have followed them to Washington.
“This is a sober reminder that COVID is still with us, and though vaccinations offer tremendous protection, we still must take necessary precautions,” Turner said. “We are in touch with public health experts in Texas to provide additional guidance. Our caucus will follow all recommendations from public health experts as we continue our work.”
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson captured the delicious irony of the situation in a Saturday tweet: “This is a group of people who said @GregAbbott_TX was going to kill Texans by reopening the state and tossing the mask mandate, then they went to DC and didn’t wear masks.”
