House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that members in her chamber will be able to file bills electronically as part of her effort to promote social distancing in Congress.
“The House will soon take additional action to reduce the physical presence of Members and staff in the Capitol, by formalizing a new system for submission of documents related to Floor action,” the California Democrat said in an email to members on Monday.
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She continued, “Beginning Tuesday, staff must electronically submit all Floor documents – including bills, resolutions, co-sponsors and extensions of remarks – to a dedicated and secure email system, rather than deliver these materials by hand to staff in the Speaker’s Lobby or Cloakrooms.”
Pelosi noted that the policy will be active until April 19, but it could be extended as necessary. The policy only allows for the submission of “bills, resolutions, co-sponsors and extensions of remarks” and does not allow members to vote electronically.
There has been a bipartisan effort to allow members of Congress to vote remotely, but Pelosi has noted such a policy would require a change to House rules. The legislation to allow remote voting, which is sponsored by Democratic California Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Arkansas Rep. Rick Crawford, was first introduced in 2013 and failed to pick up support.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, frustrated some of his congressional colleagues when he forced many of them to return to the U.S. Capitol for a vote on the most recent coronavirus legislative package by demanding a quorum be present for the voice vote to move forward.
Several members have contracted coronavirus since the outbreak began, including Republican Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida and Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Democratic Reps. Ben McAdams of Utah, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, and Nydia Velazquez of New York.
