The Congressional Management Foundation has no position on whether Senators and Representatives should return to Washington, D.C. for floor votes. However, we must express concern about requiring staff to be physically present in congressional offices at this time. 

At this point, many of the personal office and committee staffers for the U.S. Congress can perform their duties remotely. In a survey of Member/personal office staff conducted on March 26 by the Congressional Management Foundation, 95% of the respondents reported that “all” or “most” of their work could be conducted remotely. And, since the time of the survey, the remote functionality of congressional offices has improved.

After 9/11, the Congressional Management Foundation lauded congressional staff as the “silent patriots under the dome,” those who continued to work amid fear and uncertainty. We know these patriots will do their jobs, as requested, even at risk to their own health. Unlike the healthcare workers, grocery clerks, and others whose jobs require they put themselves in danger every day, many legislative branch staffers can perform their duties without placing themselves in harm’s way. We hope Senators and Representatives will carefully consider who truly needs to be in the Capitol buildings to support them when they return and how best to protect their health and wellbeing.