Florida congressman will miss State of the Union after testing positive for COVID
U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch will miss Tuesday’s State of the Union speech after testing positive for COVID-19, the Florida Democrat announced on Twitter roughly three hours before President Joe Biden was scheduled to deliver his address.
“Today, I tested positive for COVID-19. I am glad to be vaccinated and boosted, and although I am experiencing mild symptoms, I am still able to work on behalf of my constituents,” Deutch said on Twitter Tuesday evening.
“While I planned to travel to Washington for tonight’s State of the Union, I will remain home to protect the safety of my community and colleagues until I am fully recovered.”
Deutch’s positive test comes as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida’s senior senator, plans to boycott the speech because of the testing requirement for attendees. Rubio, a Republican, had blasted the testing requirement and a health screening as theater.
His office did not immediately respond to a question about a member of the Florida delegation testing positive for the virus.
Deutch, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, announced Monday that he won’t seek reelection this November as he prepares to take over as CEO of the American Jewish Committee once his current term ends.
This story was originally published March 1, 2022 at 6:37 PM.
