Despite overwhelming support by the public for federal action, and a quickly diminishing aid resource, both houses of Congress have now announced that they will remain out of session until at least May. Congress adjourned at the end of the March following the passage of the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It was originally expected that representatives would return to Washington on Monday, April 20.

“As the country continues working together to flatten the curve, following the advice of health experts, the full Senate is not expected to travel back to Washington D.C. sooner than Monday, May 4th. All members will receive at least 24 hours’ notice if this changes,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced today. “The coronavirus does not take days off and the United States Senate must not either, wherever we are.”

The Democratic-led House of Representatives announced they had made the same decision on Monday. McConnell emphasized that the senate’s action had been decided in a bipartisan manner.

This extension of the recess comes at a time when there have already been negotiations for a new stimulus package and calls for filling in the policy gaps of the first bill. Without a quorum automatically in Washington D.C., passing this legislation would become tenuous in the extreme. But some members feel they have no choice.

“I have no interest in going back now. How do you get there? Train? Plane? Last time I got there, I drove for about five hours,” said New York Rep. Nita Lowey, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. “People across the country are not going to take a chance. Unless it’s safe, I think we are better off doing our work, as we have been doing, passing bills by unanimous consent.”

Unanimous consent is a voice vote done by congress where individual representatives do not have to record how they voted. This process can be stopped by a lone member asking for a quorum call, without which no legislation can be passed. This occurred last month when Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky attempted to prevent the CARES Act from passing by voice vote instead of through regular procedure. He was unsuccessful.

“By calling them out on the Constitution and making them come to Washington, D.C. in order to pass a bill, they’re finding it harder to pass this next bill, because they know they’re all going to have to come to work,” Massie said on Monday. “They know I will get in my car and drive there and make them vote on it. And my colleagues, a lot of them, frankly, are cowards.”

Previously, the Supreme Court also ruled unanimously against the Obama administration when it attempted to make recess appointments while the U.S. Senate was in pro forma sessions.

Hunter DeRensis is the senior reporter for the National Interest. Follow him on Twitter @HunterDeRensis.