GOP lawmakers call RNC ‘a recovery opportunity,’ as they try to keep convention in Charlotte
Calling it “a recovery opportunity,” three Republican congressmen Tuesday made an economic pitch for holding their national convention in Charlotte, a day before the GOP’s self-imposed deadline.
“We are here to implore Gov. (Roy) Cooper and the (Republican) executive committee to put aside partisan politics so the convention can stay in Charlotte, North Carolina,” U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman of Rock Hill told reporters at a news conference outside the Spectrum Center, which would be the site of the event.
Norman was joined by U.S. Reps. Dan Bishop of Charlotte and Ted Budd of Davie County as well as Glenn McCall of York County, who co-chairs the convention.
The news conference came a day before the GOP’s Wednesday deadline for the state to authorize a full convention in Charlotte’s Spectrum Center with no masks or social distancing.
Politico reported Tuesday that the Republican National Committee is exploring Nashville, Jacksonville and Las Vegas as alternate sites.
The four-day convention is scheduled to start Aug. 24. Convention organizers are set to start a multi-million dollar reconfiguration of the Spectrum Center in mid-July.
On Saturday, GOP national committee chair Ronna McDaniel and convention CEO Marcia Kelly made the request in a letter to Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat. Their letter came a day after President Donald Trump called Cooper and asked that no social distancing or masks be required despite the expected ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“What we have asked back from the convention organizers is to share with us a plan and that plan should have options in it,” Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen told reporters Monday. “What we know about the spread of the virus is that when you are indoors without face coverings and less than six feet apart, the virus spreads.”
The GOP deadline follows Trump’s threat to move the convention from Charlotte. He first made the threat in a Memorial Day tweet, saying Cooper “is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed full attendance in the Arena.” A day later Trump said he wanted Cooper to guarantee full attendance “within a week.”
GOP officials gave Cooper a Wednesday deadline before making “modifications as to how the Convention will proceed,” though it’s unclear what that means.
Officials in Florida, Georgia and Texas have said they would welcome the convention, though when the site was chosen in 2018 Charlotte was the only serious bidder.
The lawmakers Tuesday focused on the economic boon the convention would mean. Local officials have estimated an economic benefit of over $100 million.
“Small businesses are struggling,” Budd said. “We’ve got a great opportunity to come back from one of the worst economic crises. They need the chance to earn the business the RNC is going to provide.”
Bishop called the convention “a recovery opportunity.”
The lawmakers asked the governor to set specific protocols for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week, McDaniel and Kelly outlined eight specific safety measures they plan to take.
They included thermal scans of convention participants prior to boarding buses, a “clean health check” for everybody entering the Spectrum Center, widely available hand sanitizer and daily health questionnaires of participants delivered via apps. They do not include social distancing or masks.
Asked if organizers would compromise on that point, McCall said that was up to Kelly, the convention CEO. Convention spokespersons could not be reached Tuesday.
N.C. Republican Chair Michael Whatley also talked about the economic benefits. He urged Cooper to provide the guidelines GOP leaders want.
“As we have all heard, President Trump wants to hold a full in-person convention in Charlotte,” he said, “but we need the Governor to provide assurances that we can move forward.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2020 at 1:20 PM.
