House delays return until at least May amid coronavirus pandemic

WASHINGTON -- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., announced Monday that the chamber would delay its return until early next month and possibly longer if health experts recommend against bringing more than 400 lawmakers back to Washington during the coronavirus pandemic.

Hoyer, who also announced the delay on a call with Democratic leaders and committee chairmen, said that the House's original plan to return Monday, April 20, had become impossible because some experts consider these next few weeks a critical moment in trying to slow the coronavirus spread in the Washington region.

"It's clear we can't come back on the 20th," Hoyer told members of leadership, according to a Democrat on the call who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely describe the discussion.

Hoyer's office then made the decision official in a notice sent to Democratic offices. "Members are advised that absent an emergency, the House is not expected to meet prior to Monday, May 4, 2020," the statement said.

"Members are further advised that if the House is required to take action on critical legislation related to the coronavirus response or other legislative priorities, Members will be given sufficient notice to return to Washington, D.C."

The delay comes as congressional leaders continue to haggle over replenishing the Paycheck Protection Program, a new grant plan through the Small Business Administration to help small companies retain workers.

Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

Democrats have been demanding that, in addition the roughly $250 billion in new funds, states and local governments receive an injection of cash and more money goes to hospitals and other medical services on the front lines of the battle against the deadly virus.

Leaders in both parties, once that negotiation is settled, hope to pass that legislation through a unanimous vote without a formal roll call, so that only a few members can be on hand to oversee the passage.

On March 27, when the House had to approve the $2.2 trillion rescue legislation, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., blocked the effort to pass such a major bill without first establishing a quorum (more than half the lawmakers being on hand), at which point the bipartisan leaders approved the measure on a voice vote.

In a follow-up call with the entire Democratic caucus, Hoyer raised the concern that Massie might force the House to do the same thing in the next week or two to pass the next phase of legislation, according to another Democrat on that call who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly.

On Thursday House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters that he was confident that, if they had to pass the extended SBA program the next day, he would have unanimous support on his side of the aisle to do so without calling hundreds of lawmakers back to the Capitol.

Senate GOP leaders held a conference call Monday night, but there was no announcement on their schedule. The Senate is slated to come back the evening of April 20.

(COMMENT, BELOW)