The move — which was made jointly by congressional leaders, Capitol security officials and medical staff — comes amid mounting pressure from lawmakers and aides to restrict public access to the building.
No change to the legislative schedule has been announced. Both the House and Senate are slated to leave Washington for a week-long recess starting Thursday, and are tentatively expected to return as planned on March 23. The decision to return will be made sometime next week, again in consultation with the top four congressional leaders and other Capitol security offices.
The announcement to stop all tours comes hours after Democrats and Republicans alike were vocally complaining that the U.S. Capitol should be far more restrictive of public access.
Many lawmakers said they felt uneasy about throngs of tour groups and lobbyists continuing to shuffle between offices on a daily basis, defying guidance from U.S. public health agencies even as churches, schools and businesses were shuttering across Washington.
“We’re not practicing what we’re preaching,” said freshman Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who became so frustrated at the sense of normalcy in the Capitol that he sought out House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on the floor earlier on Wednesday to air his concerns.
„We should encourage people to not travel here right now. I would argue we are part of the problem,“ Phillips said.
The No. 3 Republican, Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), agreed, telling reporters: „I think it would be prudent at this point to stop the tours until a time when we feel that those can be done in a way that doesn’t affect the health of the tourists at risk.“
The U.S. Capitol is expected to remain open for lawmakers, aides and other essential services.
Pelosi had been adamant in public and private that lawmakers should remain at the Capitol for legislative business, keenly aware of the wave of panic that could result from shuttering the doors. Others, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), have agreed, with some lawmakers quietly acknowledging the political — not to mention economic — risks of appearing to lock down the Capitol at a time of crisis.
But with the CDC and D.C. public health department now urging people to avoid large gatherings — and the Capitol’s own doctor putting out similar advice on Wednesday — some lawmakers said keeping the massive campus open is at odds with the nation’s public health guidance.
Congressional leaders have acknowledged they must perform a balancing act, cognizant of the crucial role that Congress plays in signaling calm to the nation, but also attempting to eliminate any unnecessary risk to members, staff and the general public.
“There’s some value to projecting confidence, and, but there’s also some value to being smart, prudent and diligent. We are the nerve center of the world. Sometimes you have to act,“ Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) said Wednesday.
More than 1,000 people in the U.S. have tested positive for coronavirus in at least 38 states, and more than two dozen have died. The World Health Organization declared that the coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic, and the nation’s top health officials warn there will be many more cases.
Throughout the week, House and Senate offices have decided on a case by case based to cancel tours or opt for online meetings, without a blanket policy. Dozens of lawmakers and aides say their offices have been increasingly moving in that direction as the U.S. caseload mounts.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), for example, said his office has already elected to stop giving Capitol tours to constituents — a move that he says “should have happened yesterday” in Congress. Moulton even shared a list of his office’s mitigation protocols with other House Democrats in hopes of setting an example.
Source: politico.com
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