Texas Republican Rep. Kevin Brady tests positive for Covid-19

“Tonite the Office of House Physician informed me that I tested positive for Covid 19 and I am in quarantine,” he tweeted. “As recommended, I received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on December 18 and recently tested negative for Covid on New Year’s Day.”

The news of Brady’s diagnosis comes in the wake of another member of the Texas Republican delegation, Rep. Kay Granger, with a positive test for the virus and on the eve of the Congress meeting to certify the Electoral College vote for the 2020 election – a event in which the social distancing guidelines will be practically abandoned. The joint session of Congress will mean that 535 members that make up the Chamber and the Senate will meet in the Chamber of the Chamber at the same time.

In a memo obtained by CNN, Sergeant At Arms and House Physician issued official guidance on Tuesday to members that they should only physically attend the Joint Session on Wednesday if they are going to speak. If they want to speak, he says they should contact the leadership, says the memo, stating that, “Unless they participate in the joint session, members are encouraged to remain in office unless called to vote.”

Minority leader Steny Hoyer said on Monday that the chamber is working to maintain more security protocols, but acknowledged that keeping what could be 535 members accordingly will not be easy.

Contrary to the rules that governed the Chamber’s opening session – which limited the number of members present to 72, but it was contested when the majority of the Chamber met en masse in plenary after a vote call registered by Texas Chip Republican MP Roy – there will be no limit to the number of people in the chamber on Wednesday, according to a Democratic aide.

The Chamber must implement the same mitigation measures that are in place – mandatory use of a mask while on the floor, seating arrangements to maintain social distance and opening the gallery for members to spread out. And, according to the rules governing certification, members are not required to be on the board and are highly encouraged to follow their office procedures.

However, the adviser said, few members are expected to want to lose the debate over the certification process and the leadership is expecting a very full chamber – meaning that hundreds of members must meet in the Chamber’s plenary in the midst of a pandemic.

Voting, when it occurs, will take place in the same seven blocks that were used in Sunday’s roll call.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would again allow proxy voting until February 18, allowing members to vote through another member.