An essential part of the Senate’s constitutional function, no matter the circumstances, is for senators to cast votes on legislation. We propose allowing remote voting during emergencies on a temporary basis. In times like these, that means updating Senate tradition so senators can follow the guidance of medical experts and adhere to strict social distancing measures. We are at the point where remote voting may be critical for the Senate to be able to govern on behalf of the American people and help lead our country through this crisis.
House Democrats have proposed allowing members to vote by proxy for the duration of the current crisis, but House Republicans have voiced strong opposition to the idea.
(4.) (pm) (BST)
House majority leader Steny Hoyer s announcement that the chamber will not return next week comes just a day after Democratic leadership announced plans to reconvene starting next Monday.
But that announcement was met with immediate pushback, as some House Democrats criticized the planned return as “dangerous” considering the coronavirus situation in Washington.
The Capitol physician also reportedly warned lawmakers that there was a lot of work left to be done before Congress could return to full capacity.
Hoyer said he spoke to the Capitol physician before making the decision to delay members ’return.
(4.) (pm) BST :
House will not return next week, Hoyer says
House majority leader Steny Hoyer has Just announced that the chamber will not return to session next week, as previously planned.
The Maryland Democrat said on a call with reporters that he made the decision to delay members’ return last night, after consulting with the House physician and considering the rising number of coronavirus cases in the Washington metropolitan area.
Hoyer said he hopes the House will be able to return soon to consider the next coronavirus relief package. The Senate is still scheduled to return next Monday.
4 pm BST 25:
White House says press conference is actually a pool spray
The White House now says press secretary Kayleigh McEnany ‘s tweet about Trump
s press conference with the governor of Florida was actually referring to a pool spray.
It should be noted that a press conference and a pool spray are two very different things. A press conference gives reporters from a number of outlets the chance to question the president on camera, while a pool spray is restricted to the White House press pool that is on duty today.
The confusion over the press conference comes a day after the White House scheduled then canceled then rescheduled its daily briefing on the coronavirus response.
3. (pm BST ) :
Congressional leaders are signaling there is a long fight ahead to reach a deal on the next coronavirus relief bill.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday that he wanted to tie new liability protections to additional funding for state and local governments, which Democrats have been pushing for.
In an interview this morning, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer criticized McConnell for trying to link the funding, which governors say is absolutely necessary, to unrelated demands.
“There’s going to be massive layoffs at the state and local level unless we get some money to them quickly,” Schumer said. “And when McConnell says we’ve got to do A, B, C, D, which is irrelevant to getting the people the money they need, that’s wrong.”
The Senate will take up this fight starting next Monday, when the chamber reconvenes for the first time in weeks, despite concerns about the rising number of coronavirus cases in the Washington metropolitan area.
(3.) (pm BST ) :
White House announces last-minute Trump press conference
The White House has just announced Trump will be holding a press conference with Florida governor
Ron DeSantis
at the White House in about an hour.
Kayleigh McEnany (@ PressSec) President @ realDonaldTrump will be having a press conference with the Governor of Florida,
@ GovRonDeSantis at : am ET. (April) ,
The press conference did not appear on Trump’s original schedule, which indicated the president’s meeting with the Florida governor would be restricted to an in-house pool.
The last-minute announcement comes a day after the White House scheduled then canceled then rescheduled its briefing on the coronavirus response.
The White House has reportedly been trying to scale back the daily briefings, but the president, who has repeatedly boasted about the ratings the briefing attracts, may be hesitant to decrease their frequency.
3. 33 pm BST 25:
Ohio’a vote-by-mail primary is taking place today, Providing a reminder that there is in fact still a presidential election going on, even as the country remains focused on limiting the spread of coronavirus.
Ohio was originally set to hold its primary last month, but in-person voting was canceled at the last minute due to concerns about spreading the virus at polling places.
Many other states have since followed Ohio’s example, delaying their presidential primaries and expanding absentee voting options to keep in-person voting to a minimum.
Although Joe Biden is already the presumptive Democratic nominee, Ohio’s handling of the primary could provide clues as to how the country will handle the general election in November, when the US may be seeing another surge in coronavirus cases.
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