U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Bob Latta (R-OH) led more than 60 of their colleagues in calling for the House of Representatives side of the U.S. Capitol to be reopened to the public.
It was recently announced that the Senate side of the building would be reopening soon to tours on a limited basis, according to a Jan. 25 letter the members sent to Dr. Brian Monahan, who heads up the Capitol’s Office of the Attending Physician.
“The Capitol closure order, issued by the House Sergeant At Arms on March 12, 2020, cited guidance from your office and congressional leadership as the justification for issuing the [closing] order,” they wrote. “Since that time, congressional leadership has repeatedly stated it defers to you on questions of COVID-19 workplace safety policies.”
Therefore, the lawmakers requested that Monahan “immediately issue up-to-date Social Distancing Guidelines to congressional leaders” and consider modifying his recommendation on the closure of the U.S. Capitol as part of that guidance, according to the letter.
They also asked that Monahan clarify whether his office has issued the same guidelines regarding the resumption of public tours to both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
“Unfortunately, Congress has lagged far behind the rest of America in reopening,” wrote Rep. Kelly, Rep. Latta, and their colleagues. “Now more than ever, we must be proactive in building public trust and getting back to work.”
Rep. Kelly pointed out that Americans “don’t have the luxury of closing their doors when times get tough. Yet, for nearly two years Congress has done just that.”
“For generations, the Capitol has been a symbol of our Democracy,” added Rep. Latta. “By withholding access to ‘The People’s House’ and the history it has preserved, we are depriving the American public of learning about the deep history that this building houses. We must work together to find a successful path to safely reopen the Capitol to the American public.”