Hoyer: House will alter voting procedures amid coronavirus threat

The House is poised to adopt new voting procedures designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Thursday.

The specific strategy remains undecided, Hoyer said in a letter to fellow Democrats, but appears ready to feature a mechanism of staggered voting to diminish crowding on the chamber floor.

“I share the concerns of many Members regarding the number of Members on the House Floor at any one time,” Hoyer wrote. “I therefore expect that the House will adjust our voting procedures in order to follow the CDC’s recommendations.”

The letter arrives after two House lawmakers — Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) and Ben McAdams (D-Utah) — announced Wednesday that they have contracted the virus. The news has prompted a number of their colleagues to announce self-quarantines, as a precautionary measure.

Hoyer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have so far rejected a push from some lawmakers to adopt a system of remote voting. But amid growing member concerns about convening as a group in the Capitol, Democratic leaders have delayed the House’s scheduled Monday return to Washington.

And Hoyer on Thursday emphasized that they won’t reconvene until a third emergency relief package, currently being drafted by Senate Republicans, has cleared the upper chamber and is ready for a House vote.

It’s unclear when the Senate might act, prompting the House to return. But Pelosi held a conference call Wednesday with party leaders and various committee heads and suggested it could be early next week.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has offered a series of public guidance designed to mitigate the spread of the fast-moving coronavirus, which has infected almost 10,000 people in the United States, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.

Among the recommendations, the CDC is asking all sick employees to remain at home and encouraging everyone to practice simple hygiene and limit gatherings to groups of 50 or fewer. Earlier in the week, President Trump offered more stringent advice, saying gatherings should be limited to groups of 10 or fewer.