Senate GOP Leader Cancels Most of August Recess, Democratic Senators Respond by Asking for Health Care Premiums Bill

According to NPR:

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Tuesday he is canceling the annual August recess [except for the first week] to deal with a legislative backlog he blamed on the chamber’s Democratic minority.

[…]

The House and Senate are working to pass as many of the annual twelve spending bills as possible ahead of the Sept. 30 fiscal-year deadline, and McConnell said those bills will now be a priority in August. McConnell has also made it a top priority to confirm as many of President Trump’s lifetime judicial appointments as possible this year.

 […]

Democrats responded by embracing the new work schedule. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Democrats will spend August working on health care legislation to help lower premiums that are expected to rise this fall in part due to Republicans’ eliminating the individual mandate to buy health insurance in their tax cut legislation.

[…]

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has not shared McConnell’s enthusiasm for canceling the August recess. […] The House is scheduled to adjourn July 26 for the August break, and not return until after Labor Day.”

ANCOR encourages its members to use the August recess to connect with their members of Congress. While this may not be as feasible for U.S. Senators given their compressed summer schedule, we continue to encourage members to do plan outreach to their U.S. Representatives and will be sharing materials to facilitate such outreach closer to the August recess. We will also keep members informed if the Senate August schedule changes.