Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he would not change the rules to allow remote voting in order to address the threat of the coronavirus spreading.
McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said to ensure safety, senators could vote in small groups, or even individually, but he would not make changes to allow remote voting.
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“We will not be doing that,” McConnell told reporters after a closed-door meeting with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to discuss a massive stimulus proposal aimed at blunting the economic damage caused by the virus.
The House is not in session but could be back very soon. House officials are considering a plan to limit the chamber to 30 lawmakers at a time.
The Center for Disease Control recommends avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people.
Some Senate lawmakers are eyeing a rule change to allow remote voting, which is prohibited. Several senators are in their 70s and 80s and among the most at risk if they catch the virus.
McConnell suggested, as an alternative, longer vote times to avoid having all 100 senators crowd the chamber.
“We can deal with the social distancing issue without fundamentally changing Senate rules,” McConnell said.
