On Tuesday (July 19), Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), chairman of the Jan. 6 Select Committee, announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Taking to Twitter, the Congressman, who is fully vaccinated and boosted, announced that he received the positive diagnosis on Monday and was only experiencing mild symptoms.
In his statement, Thompson revealed he would be isolating himself “for the next several days.”
The news comes a day after the committee chairman spoke to reporters at the Capitol while wearing a mask, and two days before the Jan. 6 Panel will be hosting what could be its final hearing of the summer.
Thursday’s hearing, which a spokesperson for the panel said would go ahead as planned, will focus on former President Donald Trump’s inaction during the deadly Capitol riot.
Tim Mulvaney, a spokesman for the committee noted in a statement wishing the “Chairman a speedy recovery” that despite being “disappointed with his COVID diagnosis” Thompson had “instructed the Select Committee to proceed with Thursday evening’s hearing.”
Rep. Jamie Raisin (D-MD.), a member of the panel, indicated that the logistics of the final hearing — including who will host it — would be worked out over the course of the day.
Thompson’s diagnosis follows a string of positive COVID cases in Congress over the past few weeks, with Democratic Rep. Val Demings (Florida) announcing she tested positive on Monday (July 18) and Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) coming down with the virus earlier in the month.
