Cheney calls for temporary halt to Capitol tours over coronavirus

Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the No. 3 Republican in the House, is calling for a temporary halt to tours of the Capitol as a measure to limit the spread of coronavirus.

“We should take this step. Not doing so is putting health and safety of these tourists at risk,” she tweeted on Wednesday. 

We should take this step.
Not doing so is putting health and safety of these tourists at risk. https://t.co/QlM6FVUwRx

— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 11, 2020

Earlier in the day, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said leaders are weighing whether to limit tourist access but are hesitant to restrict access to the building. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has shot down the possibility of closing the Capitol and sending Congress home.

Cheney’s decision to advocate for shutting down tours comes in the wake of multiple lawmakers self-quarantining themselves after potentially being exposed to the virus. 

The Wyoming Republican opted to skip a leadership retreat over the weekend in St. Michaels, Md., as a precaution, saying she believes the best approach is to “limit participation in non-essential gatherings,” Politico first reported. 

Lawmakers and senior staffers are receiving regular briefings on the latest developments on the virus and extra precautions including providing more hand-sanitizing stations and cleaning door knobs and railings more regularly.