It will be business as usual, if not busier, in the halls of Congress amid the coronavirus outbreak, despite calls for House sessions to be put off.
"At this point in time we are not considering — we don't have any advice that tells us that we ought to shut down, not have sessions, not have the Capitol open," Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told reporters Monday, The Hill reported.
While President Donald Trump announced potential congressional action to provide payroll tax relief and a general economic stimulus package, the House and Senate would have to pass it.
"Very frankly, if we need to pass legislation — if we need to do things, either appropriate money or policies — we need to be here," Hoyer said, per The Hill. "So, to the extent that we can be here, we think that that's good policy."
Hoyer added Congress is working with physicians and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention "to keep our people safe."
"We are in a place where literally thousands of people come on a daily basis and therefore we have to be very cognizant and aware of the risks," Hoyer said, per The Hill. "We don't want to panic anybody, but nor do we want to fail to take steps that are necessary and recommended by our experts."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the decision to keep the House in session is not necessarily her call to make.
"As far as our being here, that's really not my decision," she said, per The Hill. "That's a decision [for] security and the attending Capitol physician's office.
"Right now we see no reason why we would not proceed to do the work we need to do."