TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Rep. Jake LaTurner tested positive for COVID-19 while participating in a joint session of Congress that certified President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College.
LaTurner’s office tweeted early Thursday that the freshman Republican “is not experiencing any symptoms at this time.”
LaTurner had voted to object to the counting of Arizona’s electoral votes for Biden but his tweet said he was following the advice of the House physician and federal Centers for Disease Control guidelines and did not return to the House floor for other votes.
LaTurner’s tweet said he took his COVID-19 test “as part of Washington DC’s travel guidelines that requires visitors be tested,” without providing additional details.
Coronavirus cases in the United States on Wednesday continued to rise, with 255,730 daily cases and nearly 4,000 deaths reported. It was the country’s worst day of the pandemic so far, in both categories, though reporting delays over the holidays may have affected the totals.
Congress has come under fire for lacking consistent procedures to protect members and staff from the coronavirus. More than 100 members of Congress have either tested positive, quarantined or come into contact with someone who had the virus, according to GovTrack.
LaTurner took office Sunday, representing the 2nd District of eastern Kansas. He is a former Kansas state treasurer and unseated GOP Rep. Steve Watkins in the August primary.
