Senators push to allow remote Senate votes during emergencies

Enlarge / Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). (credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Two senior senators-Republican Rob Portman of Ohio and Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois-are introducing legislation to allow Senate votes to be held remotely.

"In times of extraordinary national crisis, the Senate must be able to convene and act expeditiously even if we can't be together in person," Portman said in a press statement.

Some members in the House of Representatives have also been pushing to allow remote voting in the House. A bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Wednesday urging her to allow remote voting.

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