WASHINGTON, D.C. — The halls of Capitol Hill are quiet enough to hear a pin drop these days.
- Congress out of session until at least April 20
- Ohio lawmakers adjusting to new norm of working from home
- Despite other work being stalled, members say coronavirus deserves full attention
While the United States Senate and House of Representatives were in session last week to pass that $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package, lawmakers quickly left for home and will be there through at least most of April.
“We’re in a national emergency and it’s time for us to act relative to this emergency, and we’re doing that,” Rep. Steve Chabot (R, 1st Congressional District) said in an interview last Friday before heading back to Cincinnati. “Other things are probably going to be put off for a while.”
It’s easy to paint Congress as a dysfunctional body that gets little done, but when lawmakers are in session, a lot does take place.
There are dozens of committee hearings, hundreds of meetings with constituents and professionals, and a fair amount of votes on legislation that could impact you directly.
But most things unrelated to the coronavirus are now put on hold.
“The most important things we need to accomplish right now is getting America back on its feet, getting through this, and coming out on the other end stronger,” Rep. Dave Joyce (R, 14th Congressional District) said in an interview last Friday before heading home to Cleveland. “And making sure we don’t have a rebound from it.”
So far this year, the Senate has been in session for 52 days and the House for 49.
According to current congressional calendars, the Senate is scheduled for 113 more days in session this year, while the House is set for 74 more.
But that could change.
The House Majority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, sent this letter out on Tuesday that says, “While we have lost legislative days, we have not reduced the amount of work we have to do.” So, more days in session may added.
“I think it’s going to reorder some of our priorities in a different way and maybe we can accomplish some of what’s been needed through using this pandemic in a very constructive way,” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D, 9th Congressional District) said in a FaceTime interview on Wednesday. “That’s what Americans want to do.”
Rep. Bill Johnson (R, 6th Congressional District) said in a separate Skype interview on Wednesday that this year was already going to be filled with distractions because of the presidential election.
“The legislative agenda from now until November was going to be difficult in the best of cases, but I think now, Congress is focused on exactly the things that they should be focused on,” he said.
Ohio lawmakers are spending their days on calls and video conferences with people across the state, they are hosting tele-town halls, and many are proposing their own legislative solutions to this pandemic.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D, 13th Congressional District) echoed Kaptur by saying he hopes this crisis will prompt Congress to pass bills that will make things like paid sick days and paid family and medical leave the norm.
“These are some basic rights that we’ve been talking about for a long time,” Ryan said in a FaceTime interview last Friday. "And I hope we can build upon what’s happening now and there’s a greater awareness of why this is important.”
Many members told me it’s a bittersweet time because they are grateful to be home with their families for a lot longer than usual, but they are also trying to help the federal government get a handle on this virus.