U.S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) joined her Republican colleagues in calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) to reopen the U.S. Capitol and House of Representatives to the public.
As COVID-19 health restrictions loosen, Granger is among a coalition of more than 130 House Republicans who have joined together to issue a letter to Pelosi demanding that the U.S. Capitol and House of Representatives open to the public, according to FOX News. The letter comes days after the city of Washington, D.C. eliminated COVID-19 health restrictions and fully reopened.
“We write today to urge you to fully reopen the House of Representatives,” Republicans wrote in the letter. “On June 11, Washington, D.C. fully reopened and lifted the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19. Unfortunately, the United States Capitol and the People’s House have failed to do the same. The Capitol remains closed to the American people and the House continues to maintain policies that run contrary to science of COVID-19.”
Across the U.S., the number of vaccinations and immunity is on the rise. Earlier this month, 12 states reported that 70% of their adult residents are at least partially vaccinated, according to CNBC News.
“Weekly case numbers in the United States have reached their lowest point since March of 2020 at the very start of the pandemic, and every day hundreds of thousands of Americans are being vaccinated,” the letter continued. “This also holds true for the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and the Capitol Hill community specifically.”
The letter pointed out that it’s been weeks since any Capitol Hill staffer had tested positive for the virus and that no Member of Congress is known to have tested positive in months.
“This can no doubt be attributed to the institution’s steady access to vaccinations,” the letter added. “The Office of the Attending Physician has administered over 10,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to the congressional community with at least 95% of Senators, 84% of House Members, and 84% of the House community at large vaccinated.”
The letter concluded by calling the failure to immediately reopen the Capitol and House a “failure of leadership.”
“I joined my colleagues in urging Speaker Pelosi to reopen the People’s House,” Rep. Granger wrote in a June 16 Twitter post. “Throughout the nation, businesses are back open, and so should the Capitol. Follow the science, and reopen the Capitol to the American people!”
Museums throughout the capital are welcoming back visitors, but tickets are a bit hard to come by, ABC 7 News reported.
