House Republicans Call on Democrats to Reopen US Capitol Complex to the Public

(L) House Administration Committee chairperson Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and (R) House Administration Committee ranking member Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) speak during a hearing on "2020 Election Security-Perspectives from Voting System Vendors and Experts." before the Committee on Capitol Hill on Jan. 9, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images).

A trio of House Republicans told a special hearing of the House Committee on Administration on Dec. 17 that it’s past time to reopen the U.S. Capitol to the public and to depoliticize the rules-making process that has kept it closed for nearly two years.

“When this virus first came to our shores, through no fault of our own, in the spring of 2020, small businesses, schools, and offices were forced to shut down,” Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) told the Member Day hearing of the administration panel’s subcommittee on elections.