May 15, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 92 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Pages H2255-H2257]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I am going to be yielding to the Republican 
whip in just a second, but I will announce the schedule for the weeks 
to come.
  As we face the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, the House must do its 
duty in full and do so in a way that contributes to the safety and 
welfare of our people and not in any way that harms it.
  I want to thank each Member of the House for returning to D.C. today 
to vote on this important legislation.
  Madam Speaker, Members are advised that no votes are expected in the 
House next week. Members are further advised that the House will be in 
session on Wednesday, May 27, and May 28.
  As everyone knows, the Senate has amended the House-passed FISA bill, 
a very important piece of legislation that will require the House to 
act again. I expect that to be considered on the 27th.
  I also expect conversations to continue on additional legislation 
addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The House could vote on COVID-19-
related bills on May 27 and 28.
  I am pleased that the House has adopted a resolution to allow the 
committees to work remotely. I look forward to getting our committees 
back

[[Page H2256]]

up and running so they can begin having hearings and markups on 
critical legislation.

                              {time}  2130

  Clearly, the House, as it moves forward, needs product. I have talked 
to the appropriators. I know that the WRDA bill is also a bill that we 
are looking at moving forward.
  The National Defense Authorization Act is a bill that we want to see 
marked up. I talked to Mr. Smith tonight so, hopefully, we will be 
moving ahead, getting product, and we will be considering that.
  We have adopted some rules, not only for committees but for the 
floor, that will facilitate not only working on legislation but also 
the safety of our Members and staff.
  As the gentleman knows, we have a number of must-pass bills that I 
have just mentioned. I think I did not mention the surface 
transportation bill, but I did mention WRDA. As committees begin 
consideration of these bills, I will be in touch with Members about 
when they will be scheduled.
  Beyond May 27 and May 28, I want all Members to know that they will 
be given 72 hours' notice of when they would need to be returning to 
Washington, D.C., for any additional votes.
  I would simply say one of the reasons that we are not meeting next 
week, we are going to give the staff, not only of the committees but of 
the House, the opportunity to determine exactly how the new rules can 
be carried out--not in any way to adversely affect either our 
Republican side of the aisle or the Democratic side of the aisle--and 
to reflect accurately the votes of Members, whether they are able to 
get to Washington during this pandemic or not.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), 
my friend.
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  A couple of questions, but first, I want to ask: It is my 
understanding that on May 19, next week, we are supposed to be swearing 
in the new Members of Congress who were elected this week. You didn't 
mention that. Is that still going to move forward here on the House 
floor?
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I apologize for not mentioning that. There 
will be pro forma sessions, and at the pro forma session on Tuesday, we 
will swear in the two new Members.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that 
clarification.
  Obviously, we had a full debate on the floor today about this change 
in the proxy voting. There still were many constitutional questions 
raised, especially as it relates to Article I, Section 5, which states 
that a majority of each House shall constitute a quorum. I would hope, 
although the rule is clearly passed and your side was able to pass 
that, doesn't mean it needs to be exercised because the Senate is going 
to be in next week.
  Because we proved today that we can come back safely and conduct our 
business, I would just hope and urge that while it is now an 
opportunity, an option for the majority to use that, we still would 
continue to do business with a majority of Members being present. 
Because if a major piece of legislation were to come to this floor and 
to pass with a proxy--meaning 20 people holding proxies, clearly, under 
your bill, would be what your side would claim to be a majority--it 
would be challenged. It definitely would be eligible for being 
challenged in court under Article I, Section 5, the constitutional 
requirement of a quorum.
  I would just hope that would be considered that, while it is there in 
the rule now, doesn't mean it has to be the way the House conducts 
business.
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, the gentleman is 
correct. We expect a good turnout of Members on both sides of the aisle 
to be in the Chamber when we meet. We do know, however, there are 
Members who, for health reasons--either their own health or the health 
of one of their family members--transportation issues, as you know, are 
more difficult now with the pandemic going on, but our expectation is 
there will be a good number of Members.
  We do not expect there to be 20 Members here. We expect there to be 
many more. And as the gentleman knows, when asked to come to the House 
to pass critically important legislation, Members on both sides of the 
aisle have been here in large numbers.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I think today our total number of Members 
that showed up, out of 435, were 406. Of course, we didn't have the 
full 435. We will have a few more sworn in next week. But with over 400 
Members of Congress able to get here safely to do our business--and 
again, we know the Senate is going to be in next week; we know the 
President is at the White House working, as well, with his team--I 
would just hope that we would continue to lead by example as we are 
encouraging others to safely reopen.
  My home State of Louisiana today started entering into phase 1 of the 
reopening of our economy, and we saw so many new establishments. Of 
course, we have got our frontline workers, hospitals, and grocery 
stores that have already been opened and other establishments, but 
today we were able to have a full entering of phase 1, and from all 
accounts, it went very smoothly.
  I know the gentleman's State of Maryland is doing the same thing, and 
36 different States are already entering phase 1 of reopening. I would 
just hope that we would lead by example by showing here in the House 
that we, too, can do the people's business safely in person.
  And do we know when that next time that the House would be convening? 
If it is not going to be next week, do we have a date when?
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I would tell the gentleman, May 27 and 28.
  Mr. SCALISE. And is there any formal legislation or even committee 
hearings?
  Mr. HOYER. I have already said, but I will repeat it.
  We will be considering FISA legislation, I believe, on May 27, and we 
will be considering other COVID-19-related bills, if they are ready.
  We have not specifically identified those bills, but on May 27 and 
28, we will be meeting 2 days on that week. It is, as you know, 
Memorial Day on Monday of that week.
  Mr. SCALISE. And then for committees like Armed Services that are 
going to be, hopefully, starting their negotiations on the National 
Defense Authorization Act, obviously, those are things that have an 
opportunity to be bipartisan. Hopefully, they will be bipartisan. 
Historically, they have been. And that would be, hopefully, some more 
work that the House would do here in Washington, here at the Capitol.
  And we would just push to make sure that that is the case, that we do 
as much of our work here, not remotely, not through Zoom and Skype and 
Webex and other things, but actually here in the Capitol where we can, 
again, show the country, as we are asking them to safely reopen and 
start getting our economy back on track, that we would do the same 
thing.
  Mr. HOYER. Reclaiming my time, what I think, Mr. Whip, is that we are 
showing that we intend to do our work and we intended to do it with 
concern for the safety of our Members, with the safety of our staff, 
the safety of witnesses who appear before our committees, and the 
safety of committee members as they proceed.
  I will tell you that Mr. Smith and I had a discussion, as I said a 
little earlier, and he is going to be talking to his ranking member. I 
expect them to have a markup, and I expect that markup to be in person.
  Mr. SCALISE. I would just share the gentleman's hope that that 
happens. I know there was a lot of concern expressed with the 
resolution that authorized pro forma sessions until July 21, and I sure 
hope that is not the approach that the House would be taking, that 
instead of pro forma, we would actually be here in person doing the 
work of the people.
  Mr. HOYER. We are in session now, of course, and I expect us to be in 
session on May 27 and 28. I expect, in the interim, committees will be 
considering legislation so that we will have product to do.
  We are behind schedule. I still want to accomplish much of the work 
that we need to do as a regular order of business in the near term.
  Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

[[Page H2257]]

  

  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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