Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy:
We write to express our concerns about the status of ongoing negotiations for a relief package to confront the dual public health and economic crises Americans are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been suggested by some that Members of Congress are anxious to return to their districts to campaign in advance of the November 3rd election, even if that means leaving Capitol Hill without passing another COVID-19 relief bill. We want to be very clear that we do not in any way agree with this position.
We strongly believe that until the House has successfully sent new, bipartisan COVID-19 relief legislation to the Senate, our place of duty remains here in the People’s House. We were elected to represent the best interests of our constituents and the country. Our constituents’ expectations in the midst of this crisis are that we not only rise to the occasion and stay at the table until we have delivered the relief they so desperately need, but also that we set aside electoral politics and place the needs of the country before any one region, faction, or political party.
Our constituents do not want us home campaigning while businesses continue to shutter, families struggle to pay the bills, food bank lines lengthen, schools struggle to reopen, pressures grow on hospital systems, and state and local budget shortfalls mean communities consider layoffs for first responders and teachers. These hardships are growing with every passing week.
Staying at the table means keeping members of the House of Representatives in session — and on Capitol Hill — until a bipartisan deal is reached and passed in the House. We recognize that we cannot dictate the actions of the Senate, but we can, in the People’s House, continue to work to deliver actual relief to the American people. This should be our number one priority in the coming days. It is our request that you keep the House in session as we work towards a necessary deal, and we stand ready to work with you to ensure that Americans can receive the urgent relief they need as quickly as possible.
Respectfully,
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY)
Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH)
Rep. Max Rose (D-NY)
Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA)
Rep. Anthony Brindisi (D-NY)
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
Rep. Gil Cisernos (D-CA)
Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL)
Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC)
Rep. Josh Gottenheimer (D-NJ)
Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA)
Rep. Van Taylor (R-TX)
Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX)
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)
Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY)
Rep. John Katko (R-NY)
Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA)
Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA)
Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK)
Rep. Susie Lee (D-CA)
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN)
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA)
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY)
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH)
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)
Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI)
Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA)
Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY)
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE)
