On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that the Senate will return to the Capitol next week, and he outlined GOP priorities for a fifth coronavirus relief bill.
“Senators will return to Washington D.C. one week from today. We will modify routines in ways that are smart and safe, but we will honor our constitutional duty to the American people and conduct critical business in person,” McConnell said in a statement.
“If it is essential for doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, truck drivers, grocery-store workers, and many other brave Americans to keep carefully manning their own duty stations, then it is essential for Senators to carefully man ours and support them,” Senator McConnell added.
However, the House of Representatives has canceled plans to convene next week as originally planned, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced Tuesday, citing the continued rise of coronavirus cases in the D.C. metro area, CBS News reported.
Hoyer told reporters that he came to the decision after consulting with the Capitol’s attending physician. “We made a judgment that we will not come back next week but that we hope to come back very soon,” Hoyer said. “The House physician’s view was the risk to members was not one he would recommend taking.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also told reporters Tuesday that the House had “no choice” but to not reconvene. Continued Below
“We had no choice,” Pelosi claimed. “The Capitol physician recommends that we not come back, then we have to take that guidance in the interest of the safety of the people who work here, the custodians in the building, those who have to be here more because we’re here– the press, the staff, the members of congress, the staff of congress as well who make the congress run in addition to our own staff.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), however, does not agree with Pelosi and Hoyer’s decision against returning back to D.C., and asked: “States are opening, why won’t Congress?”
“I mean, look, farmers are planting crops, truckers are moving good, grocers are stocking shelves and frontline health care workers have never stopped. They’ve been every single day throughout this crisis, but somehow the U.S. Congress can’t come back to work?” the Ohio Congressman asked during an interview on Fox News, Wednesday. Continued Below
“We’ve got Task Force meetings in the White House, … but the Task Force that’s supposed to meet and deal with big issues that confront our nation is the United States Congress. So let’s get back in session. … We can do it, I don’t know why we’re not back doing the work of the American people. It seems exactly that’s where we should be and unfortunately, Nancy Pelosi won’t call us back,” Jordan said.
Rep. Jordan also said of the next stimulus package: “The best stimulus is to go back to work. The best Phase Four is go back to work, and we’re seeing states do that. … The best approach now is let’s simply go back to work. … Let’s do that as quickly as possible. That’s the best stimulus, .. bailout, … Phase Four, go back to work.”
“I hope we can just go back to work and get our economy up and running again,” he added. Video Below
Rep. Jim Jordan’s full remarks:
President Trump believes Congress should also come back to work.
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