Senate Democrats want to use the additional time in the August session to focus on health care, according to a letter from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“We believe this previously unscheduled session time can be put to good use to finally help Americans secure the affordable health care the President and Congressional Republicans have thus far failed to deliver,” Schumer wrote in the letter obtained by Politico.
Schumer’s move is likely a ploy to bring health care back into the spotlight in order to make it an election issue for Democrats. Democrats could see blaming the Republicans’ individual mandate repeal as a campaigning point since health insurance premiums are rising.
Bringing up health care can also be a stalling point for Schumer to block Republican judicial and executive branch nominee votes. (RELATED: Senators Behind August Recess Cancellation Speak Out)
McConnell cancelled the August recess “due to the historic obstruction by Senate Democrats of the president’s nominees…” in a press release accompanying the decision on Tuesday. Forcing the Senate to debate health care instead would be a major wrench in McConnell’s plan.
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