Last week, the Senate unanimously passed Hagerty’s resolution
WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, sent a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) requesting that his resolution to re-open the U.S. Capitol and Senate office buildings be implemented by Monday, April 4.
“While I understand that certain planning and coordination with the Senate Sergeant at Arms, United States Capitol Police, and other staff may be necessary to implement the resolution and that staffing or operational issues may require a staged reopening, urgent planning for reopening the Capitol and Senate office buildings as soon as possible should be ongoing. More specifically, it seems eminently reasonable that S.Res.512 be implemented by Monday, April 4,” Hagerty wrote.
Last week, hours before all 535 members of Congress were permitted to gather in the House Chamber to hear the State of the Union Address, Hagerty secured passage—with no opposition—of his resolution to reopen the Capitol and Senate office buildings, which have remained largely closed to the public for nearly two years. Just two weeks before, Democrats blocked passage of the resolution. Yet, as Hagerty noted, mask and public gathering policy was drastically adjusted by the CDC and Democrats in Congress just in time for the State of the Union Address, suggesting the only science being followed is the political science.
“Given that the Senate has voted in support of reopening, if you do not believe it is feasible to reopen within this reasonable time frame, please provide specific reasons why. In such case, at the very least, you should immediately schedule a Rules Committee hearing to discuss what steps remain before the Capitol can reopen to the American people in accordance with S.Res.512,” Hagerty concluded.
A copy of Hagerty’s letter can be found here and below:
Dear Leader Schumer and Chairwoman Klobuchar:
Last week, the Senate unanimously agreed to my resolution (S.Res.512) in support of reopening the United States Capitol Building and Senate office buildings—which have been closed to the American public for approximately two years—and returning to pre-pandemic public visitation policies. As the Senate recognized in this resolution, reopening the Capitol to the American people is critical to facilitating public participation in the legislative process and public enjoyment of these historic buildings.
Similar efforts are ongoing in the House of Representatives, as Representatives Ralph Norman and Bryan Steil have introduced H.Res.934 and H.Res.961, respectively, which likewise urge reopening of the Capitol and House office buildings.
Most Americans have returned to work, stores, restaurants, and other public places have been welcoming Americans since 2020, and tens of thousands of people routinely gather across the country for sporting, entertainment, worship, and other events. Last week, hundreds of people gathered in the Capitol without masks for the State of the Union address.
Therefore, while I understand that certain planning and coordination with the Senate Sergeant at Arms, United States Capitol Police, and other staff may be necessary to implement the resolution and that staffing or operational issues may require a staged reopening, urgent planning for reopening the Capitol and Senate office buildings as soon as possible should be ongoing. More specifically, it seems eminently reasonable that S.Res.512 be implemented by Monday, April 4.
Given that the Senate has voted in support of reopening, if you do not believe it is feasible to reopen within this reasonable time frame, please provide specific reasons why. In such case, at the very least, you should immediately schedule a Rules Committee hearing to discuss what steps remain before the Capitol can reopen to the American people in accordance with S.Res.512.
Please let me know if my office can be helpful in any way with respect to the reopening process, and I look forward to working with you to welcome the American people back into the halls of Congress very soon.
Sincerely,
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