Chuck Grassley, Senate’s oldest Republican and third in line to president, tests positive for coronavirus
has tested positive for coronavirus, he announced Tuesday afternoon.
“I’ve tested positive for coronavirus. I’ll b following my doctors’ orders/CDC guidelines continue to quarantine. I’m feeling good + will keep up on my work for the ppl of Iowa from home. I appreciate everyone’s well wishes + prayers look fwd to resuming my normal schedule soon,” Grassley wrote on Twitter.
The 87-year-old announced Tuesday morning that he was in quarantine while awaiting a test result after learning he’d been exposed to the virus. That test came back positive. He is the sixth member of the Senate to have reported a positive test.
third in line for the presidency after the vice president and speaker of the House. He was first elected to the Senate in 1980.
Grassley, currently serving his seventh term, often brags that he hasn’t missed a Senate vote since July 20, 1993 when severe flooding damaged Iowa. That was more than 27 years ago. That streak of 8,927 consecutive votes ended Tuesday since the Senate has not allowed members to vote remotely during the coronavirus pandemic as the House has.
Grassley holds the record for longest length of time without missing a vote in the history of the Senate. He broke the previous record, held by the late U.S. Sen. William Proxmire of Wisconsin, in 2016.
“I’m disappointed I wasn’t able to vote today in the Senate, but the health of others is more important than any record. My voting streak reflects how seriously I take my commitment to represent Iowans. Choosing not to potentially expose others to this deadly virus is obviously the right and responsible thing to do,” Grassley said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
Grassley has completed his annual 99-county tour of Iowa this year, a tradition he’s maintained every year he’s been in the Senate.
Zona said staff have been limiting contact with Grassley since the beginning of the pandemic and have been following the guidelines of the Senate physician regarding social distancing and mask wearing.
“Those who have been in contact with Sen. Grassley have been appropriately notified and are instructed to follow the advice of their physicians as well as all CDC and local health guidelines,” Zona said in an email.
Asked if Grassley knows where he was exposed to the virus, Zona said: “We will provide further details when we are able.”
Zona said Grassley will quarantine “for as long as his doctors recommend.”
Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control on when to quarantine following exposure to COVID-19 states: “You should stay home for 14 days after your last contact with a person who has COVID-19.”
“Even if you test negative for COVID-19 or feel healthy, you should stay home (quarantine) since symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus,” the CDC’s website states.
In early October, Grassley said he would not seek a coronavirus test after attending a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting with a fellow senator who later tested positive for the virus. At the time, Zona said Grassley’s doctors did not recommend he get tested since he was not within six feet of U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who tested positive.
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.