Thread by @digiphile

Long before 9/11 made a threat clear & this pandemic made the need acute, Congress needed the capacity to ensure the continuity of secure, distributed remote operations should its Members not be able to safely convene in Washington:
continuityofcongress.org/timeline-on-re… It's time to fix this.

https://twitter.com/ZacharyGraves/status/1284153318361661442

As the scope & risk of the pandemic became clearer in March, a coalition of good government advocates called on @SpeakerPelosi & @senatemajldr to reform rules to allow remote participation & authenticated voting to ensure the continuity of Congress:

https://twitter.com/digiphile/status/1241867923792281601

But Congress still did not act.

In late April, @LeaderHoyer called for the House to update its rules to allow remote committee proceedings define being “present” in a way that allowed Members to participate on an approved video conferencing platform:

https://twitter.com/digiphile/status/1252614833788399616?s=20

In May, the House proposed draft rules for virtual participation & remote voting by proxy.:

https://twitter.com/digiphile/status/1261290939622047746

debated them:

https://twitter.com/digiphile/status/1260590113601576961

then enacted historic changes: for the 1st time in more than 2 centuries, Members of Congress were allowed to vote remotely.

The House has conducted its operations virtually since, but not the Senate.

While Senators have held hybrid hearings & virtual town halls, & allowed witnesses to participate via teleconference, this @senatemajldr still has not allowed remote voting.
axios.com/coronavirus-co…

As I tweet, the @HouseAdm_Dems @HouseAdmnGOP are holding a virtual hearing "exploring the feasibility & security of technology to conduct remote voting in the House"
cha.house.gov/committee-acti…
Livestream:
@RepZoeLofgren is speaking right now.

Now Rep. @RodneyDavis is speaking. (He opposed #HR965, which implemented proxy voting & remote deliberations, & has raised useful questions & concerns about the adoption of virtual proceedings.) @GOPLeader & @HouseGOP have challenged the constitutionality of the new House rules.

As @danielschuman & @ZacharyGraves point out, Congress continues to need secure, remote, resilient, distributed deliberations & voting to ensure continuity in the event of a pandemic, act of war, or other disaster, like other democracies around the world. s3.amazonaws.com/demandprogress…

A July 2020 moment: "Can you unmmute? Can someone unmute Mr. Gingrich?"– @RepZoeLofgren

"Sorry about that"-@newtgingrich

The former Speaker of the House is now testifying from Italy in a virtual hearing about why virtual hearings & system aren't a good idea.