Congress is taking certain preventative measures, but it would not be the right message to the country or world to shut down, Rep. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, said Tuesday.
"You always find in a time of crisis that cooler heads prevail," McCaul told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "I don't think it's time to panic and shut down the Congress. That would send a terrible message, not only to the American people, but I think to the markets – where we want more certainty in the markets. That's what they're looking for right now."
There has been a look at having some staffers telecommuting, McCaul said, particularly those who have had contact with someone with coronavirus.
"If you have symptoms you should stay home and quarantine yourself and take those measures," McCaul said. "But again, as the vice president and task force told us, the risk is still low."
He noted, there have been thousands of deaths in the United States from the flu.
"Not to say that this virus is not serious," he said. "It's very contagious. A couple of things are happening that are worth mentioning. One is there is an antiviral that has come out that's very promising in the laboratory that we were told about by the vice president. They are testing that on 1,000 patients in Asia, primarily China and we're waiting to see. We'll know by next month if this treatment is effective
"And that's the kind of stuff I think that is going to lower the panic level. That, and the idea of a vaccine on the horizon."
Meanwhile, he said he thinks President Donald Trump's call for a payroll tax holiday is a good idea, and the rebounding stock market will "give us some reassurance."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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