(MARYVILLE TN) U.S. Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released an update regarding this coming Tuesday's (5/12/2020) committee hearing on "COVID-19: Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School". A major change, Senator Alexander has now been exposed and is in self-quarantine in Maryville.

Senator Alexander said, "After consulting with Dr. Fauci, and in an abundance of caution for our witnesses, senators, and the staff, all four Administration witnesses will appear by videoconference due to these unusual circumstances."

Chairman Alexander made this update after that the White House has granted a one-time exception to the Administration's policies about hearings.

The Tennessee senator noted, "After working with the Trump Administration, the Senate health committee scheduled a hearing with four Administration witnesses on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. We recently received news that two of our witnesses, Dr. Stephen Hahn and Dr. Robert Redfield, have self-quarantined out of an abundance of caution after being exposed to COVID-19."

He continued, "I asked the White House to allow Dr. Hahn and Dr. Redfield to testify by videoconference at this important hearing which is less than three days away. I am grateful that White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, approved a one-time exception to the Administration's policies about hearings, and has agreed that Dr. Hahn and Dr. Redfield will testify at this hearing by videoconference due to these unusual circumstances."

Now Sen. Alexander Exposed

And then on Sunday (5/10/2020) afternoon, Senator Alexander's Chief of Staff David Cleary reported that a member of the senator's own staff has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member is recovering at home and is doing well.

Cleary noted, "Senator Alexander has no symptoms and tested negative for COVID-19 on Thursday afternoon, May 7. After discussing this with the Senate's attending physician, Senator Alexander, out of an abundance of caution, has decided not to return to Washington, D.C., and will self-quarantine in Tennessee for 14 days. Almost all of the senator's Washington, D.C., staff are working from home, and there is no need for any other staff member to self-quarantine.

Background:

The hearing is an opportunity for senators to hear an update from officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about what federal, state and local governments are doing to help Americans go back to work and back to school as rapidly and safely as possible.

Witnesses:

• Dr. Anthony Fauci-- NIHDr
• Robert Redfield -- CDCDr
• Brett Giroir -- HHSDr
• Stephen Hahn -- FDA