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House Republicans cancel late April retreat over coronavirus

The annual GOP retreat, hosted by the Congressional Institute, had been scheduled April 22-24

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks to the media at the House Republican Member Retreat on September 12, 2019. The 2020 retreat, scheduled for late April, has been delayed over coronavirus concerns.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks to the media at the House Republican Member Retreat on September 12, 2019. The 2020 retreat, scheduled for late April, has been delayed over coronavirus concerns. (Caroline Brehman/CQ Roll Call)

House Republicans’ policy retreat has been indefinitely postponed amid ongoing uncertainty about how long the coronavirus pandemic will last.

The annual GOP retreat, hosted by the Congressional Institute, had been scheduled April 22-24 at a yet-to-be-announced location.

“In consultation with House Republican Leadership and the House Sergeant-at-Arms, the Congressional Institute will cancel the 2020 House Republican Members’ planning retreat that was scheduled for late April,” the institute said in a statement. “The health and safety of Members of Congress, their families, Capitol Hill staff, and all others involved in this conference are our highest priority. We look forward to rescheduling this important planning session.”

[House Democrats postpone caucus retreat over coronavirus concerns]

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have, in the past few years, spoken at the retreats to lay out their policy and political goals for the year.

House Democrats have also indefinitely postponed their annual retreat, which was scheduled for April 1-3 in Philadelphia. The caucus announced the postponement on March 12.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer controls the House schedule, in which he carved out a few days for each party retreat. It is unclear whether the schedule would need to be altered to accommodate the rescheduling of the retreats when the pandemic passes or if time could be found within the existing House calendar.

The GOP retreat had been scheduled for the days leading up to the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on April 25. The association announced Sunday that it would postpone the dinner, with a new date yet to be determined.

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