6 Lawmakers Barred From State Of The Union After Testing Positive For COVID-19

Several lawmakers missed attending Tuesday’s State of the Union address because of a COVID-19 testing requirement ― some because they complied and tested positive for the virus and others because they refused to get tested.

Lawmakers had to test negative for the virus, regardless of vaccination status, in order to attend the in-person event. The requirement came as the House lifted its mask mandate on Monday, making face coverings optional.

Six Democrats consequently said they tested positive Monday and would skip the event. Those legislators were: Sen. Alex Padilla of California, Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida and Rep. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania.

Raskin, Aguilar and Deutch said they were experiencing only mild symptoms. The others said they were asymptomatic.

A handful of Republican lawmakers also skipped attending President Joe Biden’s speech, but because they refused to get tested.

Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said Monday that he wouldn’t attend the event because he didn’t have “time” to get tested.

“I only take a test if I’m sick,” he told HuffPost’s Igor Bobic.

Rubio further complained about the testing requirement during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday.

“For the first time in American history you now have people having to produce paper to go in somewhere, to sit somewhere, to go to the State of the Union,” he told attendees.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) announced on Twitter that they would not be attending because of the test requirement.

“I’m healthy, so I won’t be taking a test for COVID,” Massie tweeted.

Reps. Mary Miller (Ill.), Bob Good (Va.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.) and Andrew Clyde (Ga.) also said they were refusing the testing requirement, according to The Daily Caller.