Speaker Pelosi, end government-by-secret-caucus

[Right_in_Virginia]

Speaker Pelosi, end government-by-secret-caucus
The Hill, Apr 21, 2020, Mark Penn

Our Constitution set up three branches of government. And yet, in this crisis, only two branches are fully operational. In particular, the House of Representatives is no longer functioning as a legislative body at all but as an executive committee run by just one representative: the Speaker of the House. There are no open debates, no televised committee hearings, no minority rights. “The People’s House” is not open to the people.

Somehow, the executive branch managed to keep the White House open — from the Office of the President to the Situation Room, from the Department of Justice to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they are all fully operational; some people even complain they see too much of the president with his coronavirus task force daily briefings for hours on end. There is no doubt, however, that the executive branch is open for business 24/7. It has put in place all the protocols and procedures to operate safely and to keep the country safe at the same time from others who would seek to take advantage of a vulnerable nation going through a pandemic.

Over at the Supreme Court, the justices were faced with some tough choices, and they decided that they would continue to carry out their full responsibilities. Until further notice, oral arguments are being conducted by phone so that the cases before the court will continue to move forward. For the first time in history, the public will be able to listen to Supreme Court arguments live, without any delay. Despite the advanced age of some of the justices, they have figured out how to adapt and to stay open for business.

Just yesterday, they issued a major ruling not related to the virus but about whether criminal jury verdicts must be by a unanimous vote. It was a complex ruling with an unusual pairing of justices — one judge is not operating for the rest, they are all operating together. In this crisis they have become more, not less, transparent.

In contrast, the House of Representatives has stood empty since the beginning of this crisis.


More:  https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/493862-speaker-pelosi-end-government-by-secret-caucus

[Cyber Liberty]

"Mark Penn." 

[Right_in_Virginia]

Congress should get back to work
Washington Examiner, Apr 22, 2020, Editorial Board

We have argued before in favor of allowing remote voting temporarily. This is something now under consideration. But if Congress cannot figure out a plan to do so without fear of legal challenges, they have to figure out an alternative way to reopen safely.

To allow members of Congress from the West Coast to return to Washington, D.C., by car, if necessary, the date of reconvening could be pushed back. But reconvene they must. Especially in a time of crisis, Congress should be ready to legislate and provide oversight of other branches. Most importantly, Congress should not let executive and judicial positions go unfilled. This crisis requires all hands on deck.

This isn’t to say all 10,000 or so congressional staffers should be populating the U.S. Capitol complex, nor that senators and representatives should mingle at close quarters. Most staff should work remotely, and members should keep mostly to sanitized offices, with temperature checks at least twice daily. The legislative floor of both branches should observe strict rules limiting in-person seating or standing only to a small number at a time, a version of distancing rules at most big-box stores that remain open across the country if deemed “essential businesses.”

One way or another, though, whether by remote or a modified in-person system, Congress should be in session.

More:  https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/congress-should-get-back-to-work

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