Two more Texas Democrats who fled their state for D.C. in an effort to block a state GOP voting bill have tested positive for COVID-19, the state House Democratic Caucus said Sunday.
The big picture: The confirmation comes a day after three other Texas state House members tested positive for the virus, despite being fully vaccinated.
Today and everyday, I’m fired up and ready to go. I will not stop until we pass federal voter protection legislation that protects every Texan’s right to have our ballots counted.
— Celia Israel (@CeliaIsrael) July 18, 2021
The battle is just beginning.
What's happening: The caucus said in a statement to news outlets that all of the Democrats who tested positive "are feeling good, with no symptoms or only mild symptoms."
- Not all of the affected Texas Democrats have been publicly identified, but state Rep. Celia Israel confirmed in a tweet Sunday that she was among the trio to return a positive result the previous day.
- State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer said in a statement that he was fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but "received a positive COVID-19 rapid antigen test result" on Sunday morning and would be quarantining until tests negative. He's experiencing "extremely mild symptoms," he added.
Of note: Vice President Kamala Harris met last week with the Texas Democrats.
- But it was determined that Harris and her staff "were not at risk of exposure because they were not in close contact with those who tested positive and therefore do not need to be tested or quarantined," per a statement from her spokesperson Symone Sanders.
Go deeper: Texas House Democrats plan to stay in D.C., will host a weeklong virtual conference
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