Several lawmakers disregarded new recommendations and did not wear face marks during Thursday's debate on the House floor - disregardi...
Several lawmakers disregarded new recommendations and did not wear face marks during Thursday's debate on the House floor - disregarding guidelines meant to stop any spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. Capitol.
Many lawmakers opened the day's session in accordance: Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts wore a New England Patriots mask when he spoke on the House floor. Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida opened the day's legislative session and Father Patrick Conroy wore a yellow mask when he offered the day's prayer.
'Give us all patience, especially with one another,’ he prayed of this difficult time. 'These are days of great economic, social and political stress in our nation.'
But others flouted the guidelines: Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was seen on the House floor without a mask during a debate on the creation of special committee to oversee the trillions of dollars allocated for coronavirus relief.
Rep. Jim Jordan, seated on the House floor as Rep. Michael Burgess spoke, was spotted sneezing into his wrist repeatedly
Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, a close ally of President Donald Trump, flaunted new recommendations and did not wear a mark on the House floor. Most who spoke took masks off but Jordan never wore won in the first place
Precautions: Nancy Pelosi left the chamber after speaking at the start of debate on passing the bailout bill
Speaker Nancy Pelosi enters the U.S. Capitol building, escorted by her security team, who wore masks and kept socially distant
Masked Speaker: Nancy Pelosi enters Congress where masks and gloves are being made available to all members of the House present for a vote
New era: Nancy Pelosi, her aides and security detail all covered their faces to make their way through the Capitol
Keeping distance: Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to observe the rule of keeping six feet from other people at all times
Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern, wearing a Patriots mask, rebuked the rebels for not following new guidelines meant to protect lawmakers from coronavirus infection
Speaker Nancy Pelosi wore a face scarf in the Capitol but she removed it to speak on the House floor
Lawmakers practiced safe social distancing on the House floor, seats were marked with signs where they should not sit in order
After Jordan spoke, McGovern, who is managing the floor debate for Democrats, reminded lawmakers of the new recommendations.
'While face coverings are not mandatory, there are certainly recommended. And the Office of the Attending Physician has also advised that a face covering will produce a minimum reduction in sound when using a microphone. The face covering is likely to be most useful in preventing a viral spread when a person is speaking. So people can do whatever they want to do,' he said.
'I would say that while we are all trying to show how fearless we are, we should be mindful of the people surrounding us,' McGovern noted of the rebels.
Many members of Congress are on the elderly side, which is an age group at higher risk if they get infected with the coronavirus.
Some wore masks and others, like Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert, another Trump ally, did not.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not wear a mask when she addressed lawmakers from the House floor. Although she wore one when she entered the Capitol and when she walked from her office to the House floor.
Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said he would follow Pelosi's example and not wear a mask while he managed the floor debate for the GOP.
'I'm going to follow her example. I think we should keep our mask on when we're doing our normal business but take them off when we're speaking and thank you for setting that example, Madam Speaker,' he said.
Outside the House chamber a table was set up with face masks and gloves for lawmakers to take for their use.
The debate came ahead of a vote on a fourth coronavirus rescue package. Democratic Rep. Ben McAdams of Utah, who was diagnosed with the coronavirus, was in Washington D.C. to vote after getting the all clear from his doctors.
The House took two votes on Thursday. The first on the creation of a bipartisan commission to oversee the trillions of dollars Congress allocated to combat the coronavirus. That passed on a largely partly-line vote as Republicans called it a political ploy by Democrats against President Trump. The second was the coronavirus relief package.
These were the last votes in Congress for the foreseeable future. Lawmakers are not scheduled to return to Washington D.C. until early May.
Speaker Pelosi, wearing a face scarf, walks past of the bust of President Abraham Lincoln in the Capitol building
Rep. Ben McAdams, who had the coronavirus, returned to the Capitol to vote
Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert speaks on the House floor without a mask while Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson wears one during his speech
Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor wore a mask when she opened the House and Father Patrick Conroy, in the yellow mask, wore one during his opening prayer
Signs were posted in the Capitol to help lawmakers obey social distancing guidelines
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wearing a white scarf as a face mask, arrives in the Capitol Thursday morning ahead of the day's vote
Speaker Pelosi's staff maintained socially distant from her as they walk through the Capitol
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer wears a mask as he heads to the House floor; reporters maintain their distance as they question him
Lawmakers were advised of new guidelines ahead of the vote, including being encouraged to quarantine themselves in their offices unless they are voting. Seats were marked with signs were lawmakers could sit in order to spread them out on the House floor.
Outside the House chamber, signs were set up for members to line up six feet apart - in accordance with social distancing guidelines - as they waited to enter the House floor.
The vote was set up so a House member entered the chamber from the side, one by one. They voted by an electronic card reader just inside the entrance and then walked down the House floor to exit through the Speaker's Lobby.
Lawmakers were asked to take the stairs to the House chamber, which sits on the second floor of the Capitol, instead of using the elevators, which typically get crowded with lawmakers as they rush to the floor to vote.
Not all members of Congress will make the trip to Washington D.C. There were 35 House members absent, a remarkably low number given the pandemic conditions.
Any lawmaker showing any symptoms are being asked to stay away.
'Members who are ill with respiratory symptoms or fever are strongly discouraged from attending the session,' House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving and House Attending Physician Brian P. Monahan wrote in a three-page memo on the new safety rules sent to lawmakers Wednesday night.
In order to cut down on congestion during the vote – with 435 members of Congress the House floor gets packed during votes, making social distancing impossible – the voting time will be held open for up to two hours, with lawmakers assigned shifts to vote based on their last name.
That will put about 60 lawmakers voting during each 10-minute time block. They are being encouraged to vote and leave instead of staying to chat with one another as is normal procedure in the House.
Hand sanitizers have been placed around the entrances to the House floor and lawmakers are asked to use them before coming into the chamber and when they leave.
Additionally, there will be a 30 minute break between votes so the House chamber can be cleaned.
Staff from Irving and Monahan's offices will be watching the House floor to make sure lawmakers are in line with the new rules.
'Please note that throughout voting, we will monitor the number of Members on the Floor to ensure we maintain safe social distancing,' they wrote in their memo.
Lawmakers are voting Thursday on a fourth coronavirus relief package after the Senate passed it on Tuesday. President Donald Trump is expected to sign the $484 billion measure designed to give more relief to small businesses.
Several lawmakers took to Twitter to document their return to the Capitol.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib posted a video of fellow Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell at the airport wearing a mask and gloves while showing off her supply of hand sanitizer.
Democratic Rep. Don Beyer presided over the House last week while wearing a mask
During the last House vote at the end of March, lawmakers spread out on the House floor and sat in the galleries above the chamber to keep to social distancing guidelines
Missing from Thursday's floor action will be a proposal to allow proxy voting in the House and virtual committee hearings.
Democrats had proposed the new rules - to allow Congress to stay in business during the coronavirus pandemic - but Speaker Nancy Pelosi pulled the measure after objections from House Republicans.
On Wednesday, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi asking her to come up with a plan to reopen the House for business.
He also questioned her for details about the proposed proxy voting measure.
'It has been reported that Chairman McGovern is recommending a House rules change to allow for 'voting by proxy' during this period. What are the details of this proposal, how will it avoid potential abuses of power, and when do you expect this proposal to be made public for the necessary scrutiny and member input that changing 200 years of House precedent would merit?,' McCarthy wrote to her.
In response, Pelosi and McCarthy have agreed to form a bipartisan group of lawmakers to examine ways lawmakers could work remotely and reopen the House.
Pelosi has indicated she wants bipartisan support for whatever measure is ultimately voted on given it affects all members of the House.
Additionally, lawmakers will also vote Thursday to establish a select coronavirus oversight committee, which Pelosi said will be chaired by Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.
Republicans are expected to vote against the commission, which they say is being used as a political weapon against the president.
It is expected to be approved, however, given Democratic control of the House.
The House last met at the end of March, where lawmakers approved a a $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package that resulted in individual checks being sent to Americans, loans going to small businesses and aid for industries hard hit by the disease.
That vote saw lawmakers adhere to social distancing guidelines.
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