House Minority Whip Steve Scalise appeared on Fox & Friends Weekends on Saturday and took aim at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for allegedly refusing to implement coronavirus testing on Capitol Hill, Breitbart reported. Scalise’s comments built off of Republican Rep. Rodney Davis’ recent frustration over Pelosi’s unwillingness to move forward with such a plan.
“Congressman Davis is exactly correct,” Scalise said. “These protocols have been out there and the testing capabilities have been out there for a long time. They were offered to the Speaker and she turned it down. And I think it’s something that should have been in Congress for a few weeks now. But you know, ultimately, that’s what the Speaker decided to do.”
Per Politico , Davis sent a letter to Pelosi dated Friday in which he expressed concerns over the lack of a “comprehensive health monitoring system and testing program” on Capitol Hill. He claimed that his requests to Pelosi for joint work on the project with his House committee had gone unanswered for months.
Although the Illinois Republican noted that the attending physician has been able to test staff with COVID-19 symptoms or exposure, he expressed dismay at the alleged lack of testing for the House and chalked it up to Pelosi’s failure to implement a concrete plan.
“Universities, public institutions, private businesses, and communities across the country have embraced technologies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Yet, the House has failed to adopt similar tools that are now being used nationwide.”
The clash comes in the wake of Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus test, which has far-reaching implications for lawmakers on Capitol Hill. As reported by Politico , the diagnosis has left lawmakers exposed and already spread to some, including Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who both work on the Judiciary Committee.
As The Inquisitr reported, Lee claimed to be experiencing symptoms similar to his longtime allergies, while Tillis said that he is feeling well. Both will reportedly remain in isolation over the next 10 days.
Along with Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is also opposed to a comprehensive testing program, which has been supported by some Republicans in the Senate. Amid the chaos of Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and news of the virus’ subsequent spread, McConnell claimed that the hearing for Amy Coney Barrett, who is nominated to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will likely proceed, but in a remote fashion.
