,,iii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #edh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march    
#ai1 #bjbj,mr4 ,portman 7for himself and
 ,mr4 ,durbin7 submitted the following  
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,rules and ,administration
  ,,resolution  ,amending the ,standing 
,rules of the ,senate to enable the     
participation of absent ,senators during
 a national crisis4  ,that  #a4         
,participation of absent ,senators      
during a national crisis ,rule ,,xii of 
the ,standing ,rules of the ,senate is  
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #e4 ,senators may use       
technology that has been approved by the
 ,secretary of the ,senate and ,sergeant
 at ,arms and ,director of the          
,doorkeepers as reliable and secure to  
cast their votes from outside of the    
,senate ,chamber if the majority leader 
or his or her designee and the minority 
leader or his or her designee determine 
that an extraordinary crisis of national

 extent exists in which it would be     
infeasible for ,senators to cast their  
votes in person4 ,senators in such      
circumstance may then cast votes under  
this paragraph only during the #cj-;day 
period beginning on the date on which   
such determination is made unless such  
period is renewed by an affirmative vote
 of three-fifths of the ,senators duly  
chosen and sworn4 ,during such period1  
,senators participating remotely and    
using approved technology to cast their 
votes under this paragraph shall be     
deemed present for quorum purposes4 ,the
 determination made under this paragraph
 shall not rely on any decision of any  
other branch of the ,united ,states     
,government4 ,the majority leader or his
 or her designee and the minority leader
 or his or her designee shall submit at 
the beginning of the first session of   
each ,congress an order for designees of
 each caucus in the case of such a      
crisis4  4