Four weeks before Election Day, with over 210,000 deaths attributed already to the Coronavirus outbreak, the latest surge in virus cases through the corridors of power in Washington, D.C. is having a major impact on the government of the United States.
At the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs are in quarantine.
At the White House, while President Donald Trump is recovering after a three day hospital stay for the virus, the number of new virus cases among White House staffers continues to grow.
On Capitol Hill, the Senate has postponed legislative work for two weeks after three GOP Senators tested positive.
The U.S. Supreme Court continues to hear cases by telephone.
And thousands of federal workers are either working limited hours in person, or doing their jobs remotely from home.
A day after the President’s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany announced she had tested positive, there were still no official White House details about how many staffers had been hit by the virus, leaving new information to come from reporters about additional cases.
The new cases reported included the aide who carries the nuclear “football” as the President travels, one of the President’s top aides, Stephen Miller.
The #coronavirus outbreak at the White House continues to grow. President Trump's senior adviser Stephen Miller is the latest to test positive for #COVID19.
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) October 7, 2020
That means about a dozen people closely associated with the president are known to have gotten sick.@benstracy reports. pic.twitter.com/0kZE9KjU3x
NOW *32* WH-related cases:
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) October 6, 2020
1+2 POTUS, FLOTUS
3 *NEW* Stephen Miller (h/t many ppl)
4 Greg Laurie
5-7 Press aides
8 @PressSec
9 Stepien
10 Christie
11 Hicks
12 Conway
13 Sen Lee
14 Sen Tillis
15 Sen Johnson
16 McDaniel
17 Rev. Jenkins
18 Luna
19-21 WH press
22-32 Debate staff
At the Pentagon, a positive test involving the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard - who attended a military event at the White House last week where others have turned out positive - caused top brass to quarantine.
Unlike at the White House, where additional spread of the virus has occurred, the Pentagon was not reporting additional cases.
“No Pentagon contacts have exhibited symptoms and we have no additional positive tests to report at this time,” said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.
7 Joint Chiefs, 2 Senior Leaders in Quarantine After Meetings with COVID-19-Positive USCG Flag - USNI Newshttps://t.co/VPdbOhD2Qb pic.twitter.com/IBJQ4hBGjb
— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) October 6, 2020
On Capitol Hill, the Senate convened for a quick ‘pro forma’ session on Tuesday, as all legislative business on the floor has been postponed for at least two weeks, after three GOP Senators tested positive for the virus.
Two of the Senators - Mike Lee of Utah, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina - were part of those attending the White House announcement of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett on September 26.
On Tuesday, the only Senator in the chamber for the short session of the Senate was the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell.
Majority Leader McConnell wearing a mask presided over today's Senate brief pro forma session where no business took place. Senate agreed yesterday to hold these sessions w/o votes over next two weeks while several Senators remain in quarantine w/COVID-19.https://t.co/3skEUiIpnX pic.twitter.com/PRR8G8kshp
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) October 6, 2020
While work on the floor has been delayed, confirmation hearings for Barrett are slated to start next Monday, as Republicans will try to finish her nomination before Election Day, as the President on Tuesday urged GOP Senators to make that their focus.
Meanwhile, President Trump was still at the White House on Wednesday, with eight days until the next Presidential debate, but no campaign travel schedule as yet.
“I think if he still has COVID, we shouldn’t have a debate," Joe Biden said of the President on Tuesday, after a speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.