Kentucky Senator Rand Paul tests positive for COVID-19

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Sunday.

“He is feeling fine and is in quarantine,” Paul’s office announced. “He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.”

Paul, a Republican from Bowling Green, Kentucky, said he was not aware of direct contact with anyone infected and expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine ends, according to his office.

Paul attended a fundraiser for the Speed Art Museum in Louisville on March 7, which was attended by a woman who later tested positive for COVID-19. Others in attendance included Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. Fischer’s wife has since tested positive for COVID-19 and Fischer remains in self-quarantine. Yarmuth also self-quarantined and Beshear tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

Paul said he did not come in contact with the person and continued to go about his business.

That business included delaying a vote on a coronavirus relief package in order to get the Senate to vote on an amendment that would have required people to have a Social Security number to claim the child tax credit, given the president permission to transfer existing money to pay for coronavirus relief and required a total secession of troops out of Afghanistan by the end of the year.

“Several generations have grown up unfamiliar with the devastation of pandemics and even now, when it’s impossible to look the other way, the young and healthy rationalize their relative safety,” Paul said in a speech on the floor of the Senate Wednesday. “Psychologically, it’s easier for the young and healthy to view mortality as something that happens to the old and unhealthy.”

When Paul’s amendment ultimately failed, he voted against the relief package that included free testing, paid sick leave, unemployment aid and nutrition assistance. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law Wednesday night.

“(He) will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time,” his office said in the announcement. “Ten days ago, our D.C. office began operating remotely, hence virtually no staff has had contact with Senator Paul.”

Paul is the first U.S. Senator to test positive for COVID-19, but the third member of Congress, according to the Washington Post. Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and Ben McAdams, D-Utah, previously tested positive.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said last week that he was not willing to consider remote voting in the Senate, even after the two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the House of Representatives. McConnell did say he would increase the amount of time given for votes, allowing lawmakers to vote in shifts.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, told C-SPAN that he was unhappy to learn that Paul had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and that he wished him the best. Romney also confirmed that he was among a group that had lunch with Paul recently, and said the group is working to decide whether any of them should self-quarantine.

“Of course all the senators are going to seek medical advice as to what action we should take to make sure that we don’t in any way spread this virus ourselves,” Romney said.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., saw Paul in the Senate gym Sunday morning before his diagnosis was announced, said Tom Brandt, a spokesman for Moran. Moran shared that information with senators at a policy meeting Sunday.

“This morning, Sen. Moran followed CDC guidelines and kept a safe distance between him and Sen. Paul,” Brandt said in the statement. “Sen. Moran has spoken with Dr. Brian Monahan, the Attending Physician of the U.S. Congress, and Dr. Monahan told Sen. Moran he does not need to self-quarantine. This is also consistent with CDC guidelines.”

Paul submitted an op-ed to the Herald-Leader last week encouraging Kentuckians to “approach the current coronavirus pandemic with equal measures of prudence and hope.”

“But remain hopeful that our modern medical system, if given the time, can treat and beat this,” Paul wrote in the op-ed. “This is a time for us to come together as people. To show the world what Americans can do. Together we will weather this crisis.”

Kansas City Star reporter Bryan Lowry contributed to this report.