Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Monday came out against remote voting, despite the fact that at least five members of Congress are infected with coronavirus.
When asked about remote voting, Pelosi reportedly said “let’s not waste time” talking about “something that’s not going to happen.” Adding that it would only be possible in the future, if then, according to PBC Correspondent Lisa Desjardins.
Meanwhile, a number of Senators have come out in favor of voting remotely, including Sen. Rob Portman, Sen. Dick Durbin, and Sen. Lindsey Graham. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham Joins Senators Calling For Remote Voting)
Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) delivers a statement at the hallway of the Speaker?s Balcony at the U.S. Capitol March 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
This comes as Democratic New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez announced Monday that she has been diagnosed with coronavirus, making her the fifth member of Congress to catch the disease.
Four congressmen have tested positive so far: Reps. Joe Cunningham, Mike Kelly, Mario Diaz Balart, and Ben McAdams. Velázquez is now the fifth. (RELATED: Here Are All The Members Of Congress Who Have Self-Quarantined Due To Coronavirus)
Members of Congress in both the House and the Senate have also announced they are self-quarantining as coronavirus continues to spread throughout the U.S.
Many members of Congress have received tests for coronavirus. President Donald Trump received a test for the virus, which came back negative. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham also announced that he tested negative for coronavirus.