Ohio Rep. Brad Wenstrup wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi demanding she allow the House to return to work next week rather than spend more time at home during a turbulent time in which the coronavirus and civil unrest have shaken the country.
Wenstrup, a Republican, condemned Pelosi for the spotty House floor schedule in the two months before the election and thus stalling debate on a bevy of issues and legislation, including another coronavirus relief package.
“At the direction of House Democratic Leadership, the House is only scheduled to meet on 13 days over the next two months, and next week’s consideration of legislation on the House floor has been canceled,” Wenstrup wrote in the letter obtained by the Washington Examiner.
“Our constituents want to hear directly from their representatives in Congress in this time of uncertainty. They need leadership — us — to show up. You have made clear that reconvening to take up our legislative obligations is not a priority for next week,” he added.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment.
Wenstrup has represented Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District since 2013. He is also a former Army medical officer who helped save the life of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise after he was shot during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017. Afterward, he was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for his actions.
In his letter, Wenstrup pointed to a letter from his “Dear Colleague,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, who argued in March that Congress had “not reduced the amount of work” it needed to complete despite losing days in session because of the coronavirus pandemic. Wenstrup noted that Congress has yet to finalize funding for the government for the 2021 fiscal year, including a defense bill, while House leadership continues to limit the days in which members can debate such legislation.
“This is not right and it is not what our constituents sent us to Congress to do,” Wenstrup wrote.
Wenstrup argued that many bipartisan policies were in the proposed coronavirus relief legislation and could be passed if the House returns to Washington. He also recognized the protests and unrest that has rattled the country for months, which began after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in May, and urged Pelosi to allow members to debate these issues from the House floor.
“While we have many competing legislative proposals to accomplish police reform and to curb the looting and rioting, the American people deserve to hear this debate,” Wenstrup wrote. “Meanwhile, the floor of the House will remain silent next week.”
Wenstrup asked Pelosi to reopen the floor on Monday and allow the debate to be streamed on C-SPAN so that constituents can see where their members stand.
