Grassley returns to Capitol after having coronavirus

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) returned to the Capitol on Monday after testing positive for the coronavirus earlier this month. 

Grassley, 87, did not experience symptoms and was cleared by his doctor to return to the Capitol, according to a statement from his office. 

“While I continued working from home during my quarantine, I’m glad to be back in the office working for Iowans,” Grassley said.

“I did not experience symptoms, but more than a thousand Americans are dying every day and many more are hospitalized. That means we all have to do our part to help protect our friends, family and fellow Americans. I will continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing,” he added.

Grassley is one of seven senators known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. 

In addition to Grassley, Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have tested positive.

Senate Republicans are temporarily suspending in-person lunches, an aide told The Hill late last week. Senate Democrats have been holding their weekly caucus meetings remotely throughout the pandemic. 

Scott announced his diagnosis shortly after Grassley earlier this month. A spokesperson for Scott confirmed the Florida senator will also return to the Capitol on Monday.

Grassley’s quarantine interrupted his roughly 27-year voting streak that included 8,927 uninterrupted votes.

Grassley, according to his office, holds the record for the length of time without missing a vote in the history of the Senate. He set that record in 2016 when he surpassed the record set by the late Wisconsin Sen. William Proxmire (D).

Grassley missed his last vote on July 20, 1993, due to flooding in Iowa.

–Updated at 12:15 p.m.