Us covid19 is up to three times more contagious than the flu. That means in a normal cycle of this virus, just one person with coronavirus could kick off a Snowball Effect that leaves up to 59,000 new infection. Think about that. And then, think about the way we normally operate here. Members travel frequently from their home states, some of which are coronavirus hotspots, to convene together in the capitol complex. Then, we travel back home at the end of the week and we repeat this process month after month after month. Along the way, we come in contact with fellow travelers. Colleagues, the general public, and the hundreds and hundreds of people who helped make this house operate. There is no telling who among them could have compromised immune systems. The existing conditions or other heightened risk for illness, but we know just how easy this virus spreads among those with strong immune systems. Choices thathe each one of us makes are especially important. Not just about protecting members of congress. This is about protecting all of those who have come in contact with us. The virusould have and not even know it. We could be asymptomatic but carriers nonetheless. Congress must not turn into a super spreader event. Technology has changed considerably over the last 231 years. There are now tools available that make temporary Committee Proceedings and remote voting on the house floor possible. Temporarily just during this emergency. Think embracing technology during this pandemic is a radical idea. Let me say this loud and clear to my colleagues. If anyone tells you youd be giving away the your vote with remote voting by proxy, this is a lie, plain and simple. It is just not true. What would be radical is if this house did nothing. If we made members decide between spreading a deadly virus or legislating for the American People. Thats a false choice. We can and we should do both. At least 16 states, 10 countries, and the European Parliament have all implemented some form of remote procedures to safely conduct proceedings during this pandemic. With this resolution, this house can finally join them. Let me repeat. We are not suggesting imminent changes. Permanent changes. Do our bestves we work in person sidebyside more than me. Remote legislating will only be utilized so long as this pandemic continues. Mr. Speaker, this is the type of adapting that this house has always done. Our founders did not vote by electronic device, but we do. Constituents decades ago couldnt watch for proceedings live on cspan or listen to them on the radio, but ours can. Changes were made to our core requirement time and again including most recently after the september 11 attacks. I could go on and on and on. Adapting his not, action in this institutions dna. There areways always those quick to proclaim that any change meant means we are ending the house as we know it. But you know what, mr. Speaker . The sky did not fall and the house continues its work. I dont say this to make light of what we are doing today. But we are doing is serious. Statea big deal, but my of massachusetts has one of the oldest legislatures in the country but even they have changed the rules to allow for remote voting. You can respect tradition without blinding yourself of the need to make temporary changes when necessary. Today is one of those times. This resolution comes after careful study, months of talks, feedback from constitutional experts and conversations among a Bipartisan Task force. This resolution has been strengthened by this deliberative process and it contains many provisions suggested by my republican friends. It is now time to act. Some communities have turned the corner with this virus, and i hope that continues. Medical experts tell us, however, that a second wave this fall could be even more damaging than what we are seeing now. So as we hope for the best, we must prepare for the worst. Anything less would be a dereliction of our responsibility. I urge all of my colleagues to join with us in supporting this resolution. Lets adapt the way this anditution is always done lets make sure we can continue legislating during this pandemic gnome matter what the future may bring. I reserve the balance of my time. The gentleman from massachusetts reserves the balance of his time. The gentleman from oklahoma is recognized. Thank you very much, mr. Speaker, and i want to thank the gentleman from massachusetts mr. Mcgovern. Weve worked long and hard together and tried to do stuff cooperatively. There are a number of things in here we have worked on together but in the end, we were unable to reach an agreement. Back here towe are consider the resolution implementing the most consequential change to the rules of the house of representatives in my time of congress and possibly the most consequential rules change since the establishment of the modern Committee System in the act of 1946. The majorityeaker, is proposing for the first time in our history the system of proxy voting on the floor of the house of representatives. That change also allows for the adoption of a totally remote voting procedure upon the certification of a Single Member of congress. Second, it would allow for committees to perform remote proceedings including markups. Above all else, mr. Speaker, republicans believe any change to centuriesold rules to the house should only be done in a bipartisan way achieves consensus. Unfortunately, these proposed rule changes do not meet that goal. While i have no doubt of the chairmans good intentions, i believe these changes will fundamentally alter the nature of the institution and not for the better. As such, i simply cannot support it. Resolution is intended only to deal with the current forgetcy, we must never the temporary changes we make today become the precedent we follow tomorrow. Shifting tooncerned a remote connectivity in the form of proxy voting and the form of Remote Committee, will fundamentally change the way the house operates and will remove the collegial environment we enjoy when we meet in person, get to know one another, and use our knowledge of each legislator as a person to move toward bipartisan consensus. I fear that would be lost in remote activity. Im also deeply concerned these changes will not pass constitutional muster. Why would we risk exposing important legislation to obvious constitutional flaws does not make sense to me. Concerned weim are moving forward with these changes on a partisan basis. Any change that is this consequential should only be done after we have reached bipartisan agreement. No matter how difficult it may be to achieve. I think a bipartisan agreement was possible on much of what my friend is trying to accomplish. But todays resolution is simply not it. A modest suggestion to my friends. Lets take appropriate cautions and go back to work. Thats what the executive branch is doing. Thats what the United States senate is doing. Thats what millions of americans do each and every day. We should be no different. The house should do the same. I urge my colleagues to reject these rules changes today and return to the drawing board so we can act together in a bipartisan manner to ensure congress can continue to operate during this crisis. With that, mr. Speaker, i urge opposition to the resolution and reserve the balance of my time. The gentleman from massachusetts is recognized. Mr. Speaker, i asked unanimous consent to submit the letter of the renowned constitutional scholar and dean of berkeley who wrote the book on the law we are discussing and his view that the rule would be constitutional. The constitution bestows on each house of Congress Broad to determine the rules for its own proceedings. This would include the ability to do adopt a rule to permit proxy voting. Nothing in the constitution specifies otherwise. To have that in the record. I would also just say to i also say to my friend the white house isnt operating business as usual. In addition to that, everybody in the white house is being beforemultiple times they can even get near the president. Being done by video conference. Even they are doing things differently. At this time id like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. Peters. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. Mr. Peters i thank the entleman for yielding. This would authorize remote voting in the Public Health emergency of covid19. Governors and mayors across the nation have ordered americans to stay home, work from home and avoid traveling. Until we have adequate testing or a vaccine to protect ourselves and prevent our Health Care System from being overwhelmed, the best we can do here is follow that advice. We in Congress Must do what weve asked of our constituents and what others have ordered of them. Some argue and weve heard this recently, that because were asking our frontline heros to show up at work we lawmakers should be required to convene here in d. C. That argument misses the point. It dishonor ours frontline workers, particularly Health Care Workers who are begging people to stay home. To avoid nonessential travel in order to slow the spread of this deadly disease. They ask others to stay home so someday they can go home. We in congress are not First Responders or frontline Health Care Workers though our frontline responders are certainly counting on us to provide the resources they need. But we can hold our meetings and conduct our communications electronically. And because of the space limitations created by the need for social physical distancing, working remotely is probably the only way all our of all of our committee can function at the same time. Like everyone else, i dont want to give up the opportunity to work with my colleagues in person, our relationships are too valuable, but in the face of this once in a lifetime Global Pandemic we need to overcome our default position. Remote voting is not cowardice its leadership. Lets live by the rules we impose on our fellow ship zens. Lets show by our thanks we ourselves take this threat seriously. I want to thank the leadership of mr. Mcgovern and ms. Lofgren and all the other folks who have worked on this including my friend mr. Cole, and i urge support of this resolution and yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentleman from massachusetts reserves. The gentleman from oklahoma, mr. Cole is recognized. Mr. Cole thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield two minutes to think good friend the distinguished Ranking Member of the House Armed Service committee from the great state of texas, mr. Thornberry. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Thornberry i thank the gentleman for yielding. Those of us on the Armed Services committee are privileged to work around, with, and for the men and women who serve in the military. Every one of them is a military. Every one of them expects reasonable precautions with their health and safety and well being. But every one of them knows that in carrying out their duties there is some risk that goes with it. And they carry out their duties admirably. What a contrast to what we are what a contrast from what were seeing in this resolution. One of the proudest times i have this house has been on 9 11 and thereafter. Members gathered on the steps of the capitol. Thereafter we passed a resolution that was needed to deal with the terrorist threat. Intimidated ven when many of our offices were ttacked by anthrax in the days thereafter. It was not just about showing resolution to the terrorists, it was about showing the country we could come together and get our work done. We are ontrast to what seeing with this resolution. 1918 flu,e civil war, world war ii, 9 11, throughout there has never been proxy voting on this floor. Members accepted the risk and out their duties to the best of their ability. It was not about technology. About trust and integrity. Predecessors so much braver than were our wedecessors more braver than are . Were they more ignorant of the isk or careless of their safety . Was their responsibility greater than ours . None of this makes sense. Least sense s the of all, mr. Speaker, is that any ember of either party would support a resolution that allows ny of us to vacate, even temporarily, the trust placed in that and undermine the very foundation of this representative democracy. History is better than that. Better than serve that. O me, mr. Speaker, it is sad, rather despicable, and one of the darkest days in this institution. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from oklahoma reserves. The gentleman from massachusetts recognized. Mr. Mcgovern thank you, mr. Speaker. Let me just say to the gentleman who just spoke. Intimidated and i am not afraid. None of us are here. This isnt about any of that. About doing what is sensible, what is in the Public Health interest. Not about us. Its about the people you all come in contact with. Dont ho walk around and wear masks, you know, somehow as how unafraid they carriers who are asymptomatic spreading this disease. Public health crisis. This is different than what happened on 9 11. Health crisis c that somebody carrying this disease can spread it in a very way. Ssive so please, spare me the selfrighteous kind of this. Ation over were supposed to follow the advice. Were supposed to practice social distancing. And yet, the rules committee, smallest committee in the congress, had to meet in andways and Means Committee we took up the whole committee. Now, we have 21 standing committees, i dont know how subcommittees. Where does the Armed Services meet . Where does the transportation meet . Tee maybe they can meet on the house floor. Maybe one committee at a time. If we, the bottom line is are going to follow the medical advice that we should not paralyze this institution. That i yield 1 1 2 minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, a distinguished member a cochair ber and of the problem solvers, mr. Gottheimer. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new jersey is for a minute and a half. Mr. Gottheimer thank you, mr. Speaker. I rise today as congress adapts this pandemic so that we can represent our constituents and shape legislation during this do so safely in line with c. D. C. Guidelines. His resolution includes Remote Committee participation and proxy voting, which are essential reforms during this to giving the y American Public the and transparency they deserve. Im hoping remote floor debate and voting are next and this paves the way. It Supreme Court is doing and so can we. State legislators, including of new and in my state jersey, legislators around the world are doing it. And its timehere we step up. Theres nothing extreme about adapting is way and during an emergency. Just like all americans have. Chairman rateful to mcgovern, my good friend, a true institutionalist. And representative lofgren who has worked with us in the roblem solvers caucus with democrats and republicans as we continue making strides to a truly remote system. Debate and work is key for my district in north jersey, hich is at the epicenter of this crisis. Bill includes the salt deduction. It helps Small Businesses that for workers meet, uninsured for every single and community so they can support teachers, cops, e. M. S. Firefighters. But it starts with making sure our system is built so we can do does todays proposal just that. We should all support this legislation to defend this institution, to protect it, and ensure accountability and transparency and this institution lives on forever in he greatest country in the world. I know well get through this together if we put country ahead party. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from massachusetts reserves. Is gentleman from oklahoma recognized. Mr. Cole thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield one minute to my good riend, distinguished member from minnesota, mr. Hagedorn. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. Hagedorn thank you. I believe this is a bad idea for his institution and a terrible example for the nation. I recommend a no vote. As our nation t opens up and people go back to responsibly to their jobs, the house is making a move to shut down, for all intents and purposes. Know, tens of millions of americans throughout this have ak, this pandemic, been out delivering and producing our energy, our food, with, of course, people in hospitals, policing our neighborhoods. Jobs e been doing their and we should be doing our jobs in person moving forward. Publicght question why a of Congress Like myself who is dealing with stage 4 cancer, mayo g treatment at the clinic, why i would be one working intravel and this chamber, and working in our because its a bad idea. Ere setting a terrible example. Personally, though, i can tell you this. This is the job i signed up for. This is the job i asked the southern minnesota to do. And this is the job that i want to do. Honor to serve them. I think we should do it in person, working committee in and do our jobs and we can do it safely and responsibly. Vote. Mmend a no thank you. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentleman from oklahoma reserves. The gentleman from massachusetts recognized. Mr. Mcgovern thank you, mr. Speaker. The gentleman should be happy to we that under the proposal have, you can come here anytime he wants. He can be in his committee. E can be on this floor and debate. But the bottom line for those who are in circumstances where hat is impossible, it provides an opportunity for them to participate as well. With that i would now yield two inutes to the gentlewoman from michigan, ms. Stevens. The speaker pro tempore the entlewoman from michigan is recognized for two minutes. Ms. Stevens i rise today to discuss the activity of the space, and e, echnology committee as we work toward extraordinary circumstances to deliver to the American People. The Science Committee, under the chairwoman johnson and Ranking Member lucas, has been holding briefings on topics as infrastructure