Duckworth tests positive for COVID-19 

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) will be absent from the Senate in the coming days after testing positive for COVID-19, she announced Sunday. 

“After experiencing mild symptoms, I tested positive for COVID-19 today,” Duckworth said in a statement. “I will continue working for the people of Illinois in isolation and follow medical guidance on when to return to the Senate chamber.”

The Illinois Democrat is the latest senator to test positive for COVID-19, with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) each doing so in recent weeks. The U.S. overall has experienced an uptick in cases.

Duckworth had also tested positive for the virus in December. 

The news means that Senate Democrats will be down a vote on the floor this week as the upper chamber is set to kick off consideration of the first batch of spending bills and continue work on nominations. 

The Senate is expected to move on three bipartisan spending bills in the coming weeks: Agriculture-Food and Drug Administration, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development.