The insouciance with which Congress has decided “yes, this is the moment to recess for a month” with no ability to work remotely just drives home the hubris that afflicts our *entire* national leadership — not just the White House.
Hope is not a plan, even in the best of times. With Trump as president, to hope for the best for a month is absolute folly.
Looks crazy to read it — but yep, this is what’s happening.
For heaven’s sake, what a needless and blinkered view.
Let’s not "waste time" talking about how to keep the federal ability to make laws operative during a pandemic. That's quite some take.
Not gonna soft-pedal this: I’m genuinely livid that congressional leaders, D and R alike, decided that now was the time let Congress out for a month without provisions made for remote voting.
The spectacle of the people entrusted to oversee the executive branch response saying “let’s protect ourselves & go home, work can wait” — while essential workers risk themselves at hospitals and keeping critical services running — is gross. usatoday.com/story/money/20…
It’s a response that mimics the class divide named by this story: people with means sheltering in seclusion, with others at “the front lines of the economy, stretched to the limit by the demands of work and parenting, if there is even work to be had." nytimes.com/2020/03/27/bus…
If it looks out of touch to *me* — and I’m forgiving of the stresses public officials have to balance — I can’t imagine how it looks to people more exposed to the economic effects of this crisis.
Members of Congress have high net worths, relative to most Americans. But Congress has essential work to do as the nation endures and recovers from the pandemic.
It should be acting more like it. usatoday.com/story/money/20…
It should be acting more like it. usatoday.com/story/money/20…
Another example of the class divide mentioned above: ⬇️
If the members of Congress are going to stay at home — as we all should, for health reasons — like people in other professions where graduate degrees are common, they can at least make _some_ effort to work, too.
If the members of Congress are going to stay at home — as we all should, for health reasons — like people in other professions where graduate degrees are common, they can at least make _some_ effort to work, too.
Yep. ⬇️
Can’t do oversight without a vote to proceed with it — and the House cannot vote right now because House leadership has refused to make any provision for it.
An observer less charitable than me could call this negligence.
Can’t do oversight without a vote to proceed with it — and the House cannot vote right now because House leadership has refused to make any provision for it.
An observer less charitable than me could call this negligence.
100 percent correct.
“Absent an emergency, the House is not expected to meet prior to Monday, May 4, 2020,” this announcement reads.
Excuse me: if not an emergency, what … is this situation, exactly?
Excuse me: if not an emergency, what … is this situation, exactly?
(Meant to thread this here.)
I agree.
Congress needs to be able to work remotely in a crisis. That fact should be obvious.
“House lawmakers said they are perplexed that three months after federal authorities confirmed the first covid-19 case in the United States, Capitol Hill remains in a state of suspended animation.”
I’m with House lawmakers on this; I’m perplexed, too. washingtonpost.com/politics/were-…
I’m with House lawmakers on this; I’m perplexed, too. washingtonpost.com/politics/were-…
In a democratic republic, the people’s representatives _have_ to have the ability to conduct business in a time of emergency. It is absurd that Congress, somehow, still does not.
Over a month since dispersing for their personal safety, members of the House have figured out neither:
- how to conduct business remotely, nor
- that the legislators of the federal government _are essential workers_ in a crisis.
This situation is preposterous.
- how to conduct business remotely, nor
- that the legislators of the federal government _are essential workers_ in a crisis.
This situation is preposterous.
I understand the breadth of technical and security challenges involved in having Congress work remotely, so I would feel forgiving if members had done much apparent work to surmount those.
But they haven’t — which makes this status quo a ridiculous cop-out.
But they haven’t — which makes this status quo a ridiculous cop-out.
(What I’m not saying: that Feinstein should rush to Washington to help McConnell pack the courts more.
What I *am* saying: Congress nonetheless needs to get back to work — and should find a way to do that.)
What I *am* saying: Congress nonetheless needs to get back to work — and should find a way to do that.)
