Amid the coronavirus outbreak, North Carolina lawmakers on Capitol Hill are taking precautions in hopes of reducing the risk of the community spread of COVID-19.
Come Monday, staffers in the Capitol Hill offices of Reps. David Price, D-4th District, and Ted Budd, R-13th District, will begin teleworking. While their physical office spaces will be quiet, staff members will still meet virtually and take constituent calls remotely, according to their spokespersons.
“We need to take reasonable precautions here, just as we need to take reasonable precautions nationally,” said Price, when asked earlier this week what impact the coronavirus may have on Capitol Hill.
The Washington, D.C. office of Rep. Alma Adams, D-12th District, is also teleworking, according to a spokesman.
Several other North Carolina congressional offices have so far not transitioned to working remotely. However, spokespersons said they are ready to do so as warranted.
"Our office is prepared to telework if necessary and has other protocols in place as needed," said a spokesman for Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8th District. "Rep. Hudson is closely monitoring the situation."
"Office staff have been following all of the CDC’s recommendations on preventing the spread of illness and will continue to do so," said a spokesperson for Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-10th District. "Should Tenth District constituents need assistance during this outbreak, we encourage them to contact us."
Spokespersons for both Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th District, and Rep. Dan Bishop, R-9th District, each said their D.C. offices remain open and staffed. Each noted that they are following the advice of Congress's in-house physician when it comes to safety measures.
The U.S. House of Representatives is already set to take a pre-scheduled recess next week. The Senate was as well, but has since scrapped that plan in order to return to Capitol Hill to work on stimulus package in response to the outbreak.
Other Precautions Across Capitol Hill
Reminders of COVID-19 are all around Capitol Hill. Several offices have signs on their doors, instructing people to avoid the standard greeting of political Washington: a handshake.
Already, there has been one reported case of coronavirus on the Hill. A Senate staffer tested positive earlier this week.
The Capitol complex has also shut down public tours and restricted visitor access.
Several lawmakers have self-quarantined over concerns they may have come in contact with someone with the virus, including Rep. Mark Meadows, R-11th District. A spokesman for Meadows said the congressman took a test for COVID-19, which came back negative.
President Donald Trump recently named Meadows as the new White House Chief of Staff.
Capitol Hill can in some ways be likened to a Petri dish. It is home to elected officials - many of them in the at-risk age group for coronavirus - plus hundreds upon hundreds of staffers. All of them work in what are sometimes cramped spaces.
“There’s something to be said for members of the Congress to be up here, to show that we’re working on the crisis,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC. “But we also have a business here with many staff, and like all small businesses, I’m looking at the best way to keep our business running. And we’re going to.”
As the outbreak continues, could things go a step further, where the Capitol Building itself needs to be shuttered?
In an interview, Rep. Greg Murphy, who is a physician, said everything is on the table.
“This is something that we’ve never experienced in modern day history and it’s something that’s on the table,” said Murphy, R-3rd District. “We’ll deal with it when it comes to it.”