I guess the guy wants to try to get stuff done before the Democrats possibly getting the House and braking up the easy House/Senate Republican majority thing?
The Senate had been expected to leave town on August 3 for a four-week break and not return to Washington until early September, after Labor Day.
But under McConnell’s new plan, senators are expected to be out of town for the week of August 6. They will then return to Washington and remain in session for the rest of the month.
GOP senators had hinted for weeks that they expected the Senate leader to cancel at least part of the break in effort to catch up on confirming Trump’s nominees and avoid passing another mammoth omnibus spending bill later this year.
In additions to appropriations and nominees, a spokesman for McConnell noted that the Senate still needs to approve the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), water infrastructure legislation, the farm bill, reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration and renewal of the flood insurance program.
GOP Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) have also been circulating a survey amongst their colleagues as they look for additional agenda items that would have enough support to pass during a midterm election year.
McConnell has been under intense pressure from conservatives, including members of his own caucus, and the White House to cancel at least part of the recess….
via twitter….
Kos Elections
@DKElections
Daily Kos Elections Retweeted Frank Thorp V
John Cornyn says the quiet part loud: Canceling August recess is designed to screw Democratic senators seeking re-election
Keith can elaborate far better than I on this, but anyone who has been in Washington in August (as I was for both the original March on Washington, 28 August 1963, and its 30th anniversary) can see why anyone who has the power to get out of town then does so — legislators, presidents, judges, senior bureaucrats, et al. — leaving the poor secretaries, cops, firemen and lower-level public workers who have no choice to suffer truly oppressive heat and humidity from the Potomac.
It can’t be any more uncomfortable than Florida or other places where it gets very hot in the summer. Just about anywhere will have pretty good air conditioning these days.
I doubt that the Senate is gonna stay in session for long in August…
GOPer’s need get away also….