Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence both tested negative for coronavirus Saturday, roughly a day after a VP staffer tested positive for the disease.
Pence announced he and his wife would be taking the tests Saturday afternoon, despite saying neither he nor President Donald Trump came into contact with the staffer. President Trump was tested and cleared earlier in March after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited the Capitol with a press secretary who later tested positive. (RELATED: Trump Admin Requests Authority To Ban Evictions Amid Coronavirus)
Pleased to report that the COVID-19 test results came back negative for both Vice President @Mike_Pence and Second Lady @KarenPence.
— Katie Miller (@VPPressSec) March 22, 2020
“Pleased to report that the COVID-19 test results came back negative for both Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence,” the vice president’s press secretary Katie Miller announced on Twitter.
Pence’s results come as a relief after Congressman Ben McAdams of Utah and Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida tested positive for the virus this week.
The testing came as Republicans and Democrats in the Senate continued to negotiate over a $1 trillion stimulus package requested by the Trump administration to bolster the economy. (RELATED: Intelligence Reports Warned Of Coronavirus Pandemic Long Before Trump Admin Took It Seriously)
If passed, the bill would give $1,200 checks to every person who makes less than $75,000 annually. The amount would be reduced by $5 for every $100 an individual makes over the $75,000 boundary. Children would also receive $500.