WASHINGTON (WHTC-AM/FM) – During the COVID 19 outbreak, there has been calls on all levels of government to curtail or change the way boards, legislatures and other large bodies meet.
While virtual meetings have become standard on the local level, this is somewhat impractical for the state and federal government due to the amount of lawmakers involved. In the US House, a measure that would allow absent members to cast ballots via proxy, with the knowledge of the chamber clerk beforehand, was to be considered on Thursday, but it was pulled back by Speaker Nancy Pelosi due to concerns from both sides of the political aisle.
St. Joseph Congressman Fred Upton understood the reasoning behind the measure due to some of his colleagues coming down with the novel coronavirus or dealing with family members with the disease, but fellow Republican Bill Huizenga of Zeeland feels that, if first responders and health care workers can be on the front lines, so can lawmakers, and having fewer sessions is no big deal.
“Let’s come less frequently,” Huizenga said during his weekly interview on “WHTC Morning News,” “and be more intentional when we are here. We can do it safely, and frankly, we should.”
