House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Monday broke with other top congressional leaders and said he wants rapid coronavirus testing available on Capitol Hill.
“I actually have a [difference] of opinion - I would have it here,” Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, said on “Fox and Friends.” “Remember, as we open up you have to be prepared for any flare-up and that’s how you deal with it.”
Over the weekend, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected an offer from the Trump administration to deploy rapid testing to Capitol Hill as the Senate prepares to reconvene on Monday.
Mr. McCarthy and other Republicans offered their own plan to safely reopen Congress on Monday.
“Just as I was in Home Depot and Lowe’s this weekend, I think Congress can open up, put some plexiglass [in] and actually get to work,” he said.
The House last week abandoned plans to return to Washington, D.C. on Monday, citing advice from Congress’s in-House doctor and a rising number of cases in and around the nation’s capital.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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