This week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected calls from Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) to close the Capitol to prevent the coronavirus from spreading among members of Congress. There are also seven Members of Congress who are choosing to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution in case they were exposed to the virus at CPAC.

We know that the Coronavirus poses the biggest risk to Americans over the age of 60 and who have pre-existing conditions like immunodeficiencies, heart disease, and diabetes. 

At the start of the 116th Congress, the average (mean) age in the House of Representatives was 57.6 years old. In the Senate, the mean age was 62.9 years old. So right off the bat, both Chambers of Congress are at high risk, just looking at the average ages.

This got us thinking. Are there any Congressmen or Senators with pre-existing conditions that put them at risk? 

Considering how old most Congressmen and Senators are, it would take too long to list out how old all of them are. So, this list focuses on the members of the House and Senate leadership teams, as well as committee chairmen, just to show how decapitated Congress could become if the coronavirus actually started spreading within the Capitol.

 

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

At 79 years old, Nancy Pelosi is the oldest Speaker of the House in American history. Her age puts her at risk should Coronavirus spread in the Capitol Building.

Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Likewise, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is 78 years old and falls into that same risk category.

Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

Leahy, the ranking member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is 79 years old.

Chuck Grassley (R-IA)

Senator Grassley is 86 years old and chairs the Senate Finance Committee

Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

Alexander, who plans to retire, is 79 years old, and is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

Rep. Hoyer is the House Majority Leader and is 80 years old.

Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

Lindsey Graham heads up the Senate Judiciary Committee and will turn 65 in July.

John Lewis (D-GA)

Lewis, the Civil Rights Icon, is 80 years old. He is also receiving treatment for Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer, which could leave him immunocompromised and at higher risk for contraction and complications. Rep. Lewis also chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight.

Dan Lipinski (D-IL)

Rep. Lipinski is 53 years old, which is below the age cut-off for the at-risk population. He also isn't technically a member of the leadership. But Dan Lipinski is one of two Representatives who have publicized that they have Type 1 diabetes, a pre-existing condition that the CDC warns can put people at higher risk for complications if they contract coronavirus.

Kim Schrier (D-WA)

Rep. Schrier is the other Representative who has Type 1 diabetes.

Jerry Nadler (D-NY)

The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is 72 years old.

Maxine Waters (D-CA)

The Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee is 81 years old.

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Senator Murkowski is 62 and chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Jim Clyburn (D-SC)

The House Majority Whip is 79 years old.

Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

The Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee is 68 years old. 

Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)

The 84 year old Congresswoman is the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Space, Science, and Technology.

John Barrasso (R-WY)

Sen. Barrasso chairs the Senate Environment Committee and is 67.

Jim Risch (R-ID)

Sen Risch controls the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and will turn 77 at the beginning of May.

Elliot Engel (D-NY)

The Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is 73 years old.

Pat Roberts (R-KS)

Sen. Roberts is 83 and is chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee

Collin Peterson (D-WI)

Peterson is 73 years old and chairs the House Agriculture Committee.

Ron Johnson (R-WI)

The 64 year old chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Richard Shelby (R-AL)

Senator Shelby chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee and will turn 86 in May.

Nita Lowey (D-CA)

Lowey will turn 83 years old in July and is the Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee.

John Yarmuth (D-KY)

Rep. Yarmuth is 72 years old and chairs the House Budget Committee.

Jim Inhofe (R-OK)

The 85-year-old Inhofe serves as the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Bobby Scott (D-VA)

The Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee will turn 73 at the end of April.

Mike Crapo (R-ID)

Crapo is 68 and chairs the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

Bernie Thompson (D-MS)

Thompson is 72 and chairs the House Homeland Security Committee.

Mike Enzi (R-WY)

Senator Enzi chairs the Senate Budget Committee and is 76 years old.

Roger Wicker (R-MS)

The Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Wicker is 68 years old.

Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)

The Chairwoman of the House Administration Committee is also 72 years old.

Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)

Rep. Grijalva just turned 72 in February and chairs the House Natural Resources Committee.

Carolyn Maloney (D-NC)

Rep. Maloney is 74 and took over control of the House Oversight Committee after Rep. Elijah Cummings passed away.

Jim McGovern (D-MA)

The Chairman of the House Rules Committee barely makes the cutoff at 60 years of age.

Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)

Velazquez is 66 and chairs the House Small Business Committee.

Peter Defazio (D-MA)

Rep. Defazio serves as the Chairman of the House Transportation Committee and is 72 years old.

Richard Neal (D-MA)

Richard Neal is the House Ways and Means Chairman and just turned 71 in February.

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Well, that was certainly a long list. And those are just the members of party leadership and the chairs of Congressional committees.

While many have argued that the panic surrounding the coronavirus is ridiculous, the data does show that people over the age of 60 are at higher risk of death if they catch the virus.

If the coronavirus were to make its way through Capitol Hill, Congress would be wiped out. Whatever you think of these people, they are still the chairs of these committees. They understand how to move legislation through Congress. If they were incapacitated or God-forbid killed by the coronavirus, it would be next to impossible for Congress to get anything done.

And while I would usually joke that Congressional inaction is often a good thing, a Capitol-wide infection would be devastating.