The House will be empty during most of the summer due to the threat of the coronavirus.
House Democrats released a revised legislative schedule that will leave the chamber dark for nearly all of June and calls for just a few legislative sessions before breaking again for all of August and part of September. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Friday announced the House would not hold votes again until June 30, leaving the entire month dedicated to “committee work” that lawmakers are authorized to conduct online.
The House will hold votes for two weeks at the end of July and then leave town for five weeks, reconvening on Sept. 8.
House Democrats are eager to avoid returning to Washington, D.C., due to the coronavirus outbreak and passed legislation allowing proxy voting and virtual committee business. They’ll conduct work virtually and in “hybrid” committee meetings in June.
“Throughout the month of June, legislative work in House committees will be our focus, with committees meeting to hold hearings and to mark up and report legislation,” Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, told fellow lawmakers in a letter sent out on Friday.
Hoyer said the House could be in session “at some point in June” to act on a new coronavirus aid package. But that depends on the Senate, which is not rushing to pass a new spending bill. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said on Friday he’d consider a new bill “in about a month,” after assessing the needs of the country as states begin to reopen.
The House plan to remain mostly out of session this summer adheres to a rule change Democrats passed this month allowing them to conduct proxy votes, virtual committee hearings, and virtual committee votes to advance legislation, called markups.
“The House is moving forward effectively to get our work done and protect public health at the same time,” Hoyer told lawmakers in the letter.
Republicans oppose the new rules allowing lawmakers to work remotely and have repeatedly called on Democrats to reconvene the House. But Democrats believe the coronavirus makes airplane travel and gathering in the Capitol too risky for lawmakers. The Senate returned to session earlier this month and has no plans to work remotely.
Republicans proposed a four-step process for reopening the House that would start with subcommittee work and advance toward votes on the House floor.
“While it’s helpful there is at least a calendar put in place, it’s clear the majority has no intention of seriously addressing the important issues facing our nation,” Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told the Washington Examiner. “Not only should we be in Washington working, but we should do so without Democrats abusing the absurd proxy scheme they wrote themselves. Dispatchers, delivery drivers, and doctors go to work in these times. So should Congress.”
Hoyer reminded lawmakers they must hold two hearings ahead of committee votes to ensure “new procedures can go smoothly and securely.”
Hoyer said the House would hold “hybrid hearings” that combine virtual attendance with in-person committee attendance. The Armed Services Committee will hold a practice hybrid hearing next week, Hoyer said.
Lawmakers typically spend early summer months in the Capitol advancing the next fiscal year’s spending legislation.
Hoyer said the House would reconvene and vote on spending bills in July after the virtual committees advance them in June.
The House will also consider a Defense Department authorization measure, an infrastructure bill, and legislation to expand Obamacare, Hoyer announced.
The schedule could change, Hoyer said, if the House falls behind on passing appropriations measures or if a new measure responding to the coronavirus outbreak is needed.
“I am hopeful, though, that we can complete work on critical legislative items in a timely fashion while continuing to do our part to respond to the pandemic’s health and economic impacts,” Hoyer said. “If the House is able to complete its work on these items by the end of July, no changes will be made to the August District work period.”
The Democratic National Convention is scheduled for August 17-20.
