In the aftermath of the Arizona shooting spree, House Republican leaders have cleared the legislative calendar for next week, which means that for the most part U.S. politics will slow to a crawl. Instead, members — Democrats and Republicans — will participate in a joint caucus meeting Wednesday, to be briefed on security precautions in the wake of the shooting.
Because of the preponderance of freshman and other junior members, who were not on the Hill during the 9/11 and anthrax attacks, many haven’t been briefed on how to prepare for and handle emergencies. They will try to rectify this Wednesday, according to Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson.
“The primary thing here is to make sure that all members are coordinating their efforts with local police officials, which a lot of members do routinely,” Larson told reporters after a Democratic and Republican joint conference call, which was attended by about 800 members, spouses, and staffers.
It’s unclear how long the break from normal legislating will last, though earlier today, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said it was imperative for members to get back to business as usual quickly.
During the conference call today, Gabrielle Giffords’ chief of staff Pia Carusone updated members on Giffords’ health. Members were also briefed by a physician for a more technical explanation of her condition, and her prognosis.
