WASHINGTON - Committee on House Administration to Republican Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) issued the following statement after the House was able to successfully pass, through an in-person vote, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. By dividing Members of Congress into small groups and enhancing sanitization procedures, the House completed the essential job of working on behalf of the American people in the safest way possible.

Today's votes in the House were initially intended to include a vote on the Democrats proxy voting proposal, which was pulled yesterday thanks to the work of the Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, resulting in the newly agreed-upon bipartisan working group to study ways to get Congress reopened. The task force includes the Chairs and Ranking Members from the House Administration Committee and House Rules Committee, and the House Majority and Minority Leaders. It will make recommendations for safely reopening in-person activities, exploring remote working technologies that can be leveraged, and how to do those things in a way that is beneficial to the whole House, not just one party.

"As we saw from today's Floor proceedings, the House can adapt and conduct its business in a safe and secure way. We were able to follow the guidance from our health care professionals to protect Members and staff in the House Chamber in order to carry out crucial legislative proceedings," said Ranking Member Davis. "Congress is essential to act on behalf of the American people, and now they will receive the help they need, thanks to Members of Congress being able to come back and work together in a bipartisan way to provide the necessary funding through the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. Today shows us we can run this institution safely and execute important work on behalf of the American people. We should remember this success during our task force's review to get the House back to work, especially before making a rushed decision to uproot over 200 years of precedent or allow Members the ability to email-away their right to vote. I look forward to working in a bipartisan way to accomplish our goal of making the House work for the American people."

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