There are only 45 legislative days left until the end of the fiscal year, and some Republicans want Congressional leaders to cancel the annual August recess, forcing members to stay in D.C. and advance healthcare and tax reform.
According to The Hill, some Republicans now believe that getting everything done on time with a 30-day recess coming up would be nearly impossible,
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants a vote on healthcare reform by July 4, but the fight with Democrats over the bill has left the annual budget resolution — needed for tax reform and appropriations legislation — up in the air.
More importantly, if Senate Republicans pass a 2018 budget resolution, then their healthcare bill would only require a simple majority vote. If Republicans vote on the budget resolution without their healthcare bill as part of it, they will need 60 votes to pass the legislation.
Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan told The Hill he has urged leaders of his conference to cancel the August recess.
“I think absolutely we should truncate or cancel recess. We have a huge agenda. I think we can get a lot of it done, but what we don’t have is time,” said Sullivan. “We can make more time.”
Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines agreed, saying, “Congress has no business taking a recess when the people’s business remains unfinished.”
In the lower chamber, members of the House Freedom Caucus also want to stay in session through August and work. The Freedom Caucus issued a statement Monday saying they want to keep the House working through Labor Day to “accomplish the priorities of the American people.”