Texas Congressman Kevin Brady says he’s tested positive for COVID-19

Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, has tested positive for the coronavirus, he said on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

Brady, a ranking member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, said he will begin treatment Wednesday and should “be fine.” A spokesperson for Brady added Wednesday morning that the congressman “has been practicing all guidelines” laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — including social distancing and wearing a mask — and received a test as soon as he was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

The Republican lawmaker said he received his first injection of the coronavirus vaccine Dec. 18 and is scheduled to receive his second dose later this week. While Brady tested negative for the respiratory disease on New Year’s Day, experts say it takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after being vaccinated and that getting sick before completing a two-dose regimen should not undermine the potency of the vaccine.

“He has full confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine,” a Brady spokesperson said in an email.

Brady, 65, is receiving outpatient treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center. It is unclear how he contracted the virus.

Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, a high-ranking member of Texas’ congressional delegation, tested positive for the coronavirus. She previously said she was “asymptomatic and feeling great,” and planned to remain under the care of her doctor.

Multiple state leaders have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. The first statewide elected official to publicly confirm a positive coronavirus test was Texas Supreme Court Justice Debra Lehrmann in May. Other state lawmakers, including Rep. Tony Tinderholt, Sen. Kel Seliger and outgoing House Speaker Dennis Bonnen have tested positive. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller also tested positive in early December.