Congress Considering Emergency Shutdown Over Coronavirus Threat to Aging Members

[babylonsister]

https://www.thedailybeast.com/congress-considering-emergency-shutdown-over-coronavirus-threat-to-aging-members?ref=home

Congress Considering Emergency Shutdown Over Coronavirus Threat to Aging Members
NO PLACE FOR OLD MEN
Barbie Latza Nadeau
Correspondent-At-Large
Published Mar. 09, 2020 5:30AM ET
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Members of Congress are reported to be pushing top Republicans and Democrats to order an emergency recess on Capitol Hill for two weeks or more over fears of the spread of the novel coronavirus. Multiple Democratic leadership sources told NBC News that Congress should be shut down for at least two weeks to mitigate the spread, which has been particularly dangerous for older people, with many members said to be “concerned, particularly older members and a number who have conditions that make them more susceptible.” According to NBC News, several sources said they are worried they could be infected in the halls of Congress and then take it home to their constituencies after several Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, announced they and their staff would self-isolate after attending the CPAC conference. “Members are very nervous,” one senior Democratic leadership aide told NBC. “There’s a lot of concern that members could bring it home.” A number of Republican lawmakers came into contact last week with a person who tested positive at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. NBC reports more than one-quarter of U.S. senators are age 70 or older, and put the average age of representatives at 57.6.

[BigmanPigman]

1. If they get paid leave than every American should. Period.

[OhioChick]

2. Exactly and all Americans should have their health care n/t

[BigmanPigman]

3. Hell yes!

[Scarsdale]

5. Another benefit would be that

they will not have to explain why their leader is so unfit to handle this epidemic. I saw the Orange Mistake hugging the flag at CPAC, and hoped the infected members had done likewise. Wishful thinking, but THAT would solve many, many problems including the virus debacle.

[Efilroft Sul]

20. That poor flag should be tested for both corona and STDs.

[Sherman A1]

6. Precisely

That is absolutely the case.

[malaise]

7. THIS

that simple

[LisaL]

28. Exactly.

If it dangerous for aging people to work, then it shouldn't just be for Congress.

[Girard442]

4. One Reichstag, very well done, coming right up!

[gab13by13]

9. Exactly, it's a trap,

Yeah right, shut down Congress and let Trump run the show.

[dmkinsey]

21. This was exactly my first thought

If Congress shuts down then Trump will be the only authority in Washington.

[procon]

8. Most Americans don't have that option.

Instead of looking out for themselves, the self serving, craven fools should be passing a paid medical leave act, passing bills for debt deferments, expanding Obamacare coverage to all states. Use the same powers as were brought to bear during WWII to force private manufacturers to divert their production capabilities toward ramping up production of instant results test kits and medical supplies, appropriate funds to reopening shuttered rural hospitals.

Do your damn job!

[LittleGirl]

26. Yes! eom

[KSNY]

27. Yes!

[Grokenstein]

10. Man, that's one potent "hoax," Republiscum.

Where the hell do you think you can go to escape it?
Home?
Have you even SEEN the map? It's blowing up everywhere.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

[C_U_L8R]

11. Does the army get to go home when fighting breaks out?

Oh hell no. Congress needs to stay put and do their job - protecting the country. From this pandemic and the incompetent administration. If they want to leave now, they can resign.

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. Okay fine. How about all the Republicans self quarantine, since THEY were

the ones attending CPAC.

[cagefreesoylentgreen]

13. Oh HELL No

If other federal workers are still being forced to show up for work, the Congress can damn well show up too.

[beachbumbob]

14. they will still get paid, their staff will get paid, so no big deal to them, who cares

about the rest of america? certainly not trump or gop. They got theirs, that is all that matters

[rickyhall]

15. The Senate does nothing when they do show up.

[bucolic_frolic]

16. At 80% salary cut, I presume?

Nah! Would they ever set a good example?

[Javaman]

17. and trump gets his excuse. lovely.

and away we go...

[Mercurian]

18. Of course..

Let Mango Unchained go unsupervised for two weeks. What could possibly go wrong?

[roamer65]

19. Fuck that.

[maxrandb]

22. 2 things

1. With Moscow Mitch ruling the Senate, how would we know the difference?

2. I'm sure Moscow Mitch will keep a skeleton crew onboard to continue packing the courts with young white male Federalists Society jackboots to lord over the people for decades to come.

Oh, and a 3rd point...fuck EVERYONE that pushed that "both parties are the same" horseshit!

[AlexSFCA]

23. no they must work like the rest of us

trump should take 2 weeks recess. He is making things worse so is a health hazard.

[58Sunliner]

24. All the repukes should be forced to stay.

[KSNY]

25. Public vote. All Democrats must vote to stay

This would backfire since the blowhard would be spouting lies about about how he and the White house is hard at work, while Congress is not.

[LittleGirl]

29. Pay their sick leave

exactly like the minimum wage earners because most don’t have that besides the lousy income.

[US4u2]

30. Well...

at last, medically enforced term limits. At least Mother Nature can solve some problems that we can't bring ourselves to address.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

31. How many are republicans?

...