Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell To Temporarily Halt GOP Lunches While COVID-19 Cases Rise

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will stop GOP in-person lunches for the time being, Politico reported Saturday.

McConnell told the GOP caucus of the suspension on Saturday, Politico reported. While Senate Democrats conduct their weekly lunches over the phone, Senate Republicans have been doing theirs since May at the Senate Hart Building while maintaining social distancing.

“With the recent nationwide spikes, extra precautions are necessary to keep Senators and all campus staff as safe as possible,” a senior GOP leadership aide said to The Hill.

A GOP leadership aide confirmed McConnell’s plans to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The suspension comes as coronavirus cases in the Senate and across the U.S. are rising, Politico reported. Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley both recently announced positive COVID-19 test results.

There haven’t been any coronavirus cases connected to the GOP lunches or floor activities, a Senate leadership aide familiar with the plans said to Politico. Senators will still vote in-person and keep cautionary measures in place, such as keeping votes open for longer periods of time, urging members to leave after they have voted and keeping chamber doors open.

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The Senate is scheduled to come back Monday from Thanksgiving break, Politico reported.