Almost a quarter of U.S. House members have not received a COVID-19 vaccine yet, according to a startling new report from The Washington Post.
The story comes three months after vaccinations were first available to Congress. "The more people that are vaccinated, the quicker we can return to normal," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday in a letter to lawmakers, responding to a Republican-led push to fully reopen the House for operations.
Pelosi cited a plea from the Office of Attending Physician that more members of Congress get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Last week, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy estimated that about 75% of House members had gotten a vaccine, meaning over 100 members had not, the paper said.
The House has operated under strict COVID-19 rules since last March.
"Several Republicans" in both chambers responded to comment for the story, saying they had not gotten a shot because they already had COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine has been an issue along partisan lines nationally, with former President Donald Trump bowing to pressure and urging his supporters to get a shot only a few days ago.
Brian Monahan, who runs the Office of the Attending Physician and oversees health in the Supreme Court and Congress, "said vaccination rates needed to improve before he will announce any decision to fully reopen the House," the paper reported.
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