McConnell cancels most of August recess

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico


The chamber will still be off for one week.

By POLITICO STAFF 06/05/2018 01:29 PM EDT

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced on Tuesday that he has canceled three weeks of the chamber’s month-long August recess due to "historic obstruction" by Democrats. He said senators will spend the time working to approve nominees and spending bills. Senators are still expected to have the first week of August off.

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Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/05/mcconnell-cancels-most-of-august-recess-625905

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Senate leader cancels part of August recess, forcing vulnerable Democrats to stay in D.C. instead of campaigning for reelection

By Washington Post Staff
June 5 at 1:25 PM

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told lawmakers that the Senate will recess for one week instead of four to work on nominations and legislation. The House still plans to be out for the full month.

The additional workweeks in August mean that endangered Democratic senators on the ballot this year will face a dilemma: Attend to Senate business during time they could otherwise use to campaign back home or remain in their states and face criticism that they are shirking their responsibilities in government.

Democrats are defending 26 seats, including two independent seats in Maine and Vermont, while Republicans have nine on the ballot.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/06/05/senate-leader-cancels-part-of-august-recess-forcing-vulnerable-democrats-to-stay-in-d-c-instead-of-campaigning-for-reelection

[NewJeffCT]

1. "historic obstruction"? That's rich

coming from the guy that blocked a Supreme Court nominee from even getting an up or down vote.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. Really!! Maybe if they actually worked they might get something done, eh? nt

[Chemisse]

15. Not to mention the guy who vowed to block anything Obama tried to do. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

19. Hideous, evil in every sense. Thanks for mentioning the stolen Supreme Court vote. n/t

[OneBro]

2. It's all about stuffing the federal courts with young, right wing judges.

[PSPS]

8. That's precisely what it is. McConnell has said so.

[hibbing]

3. In a rush to kill more poor people n/t

[tavernier]

5. You traitorous little pissant!

It is your work that has started the unraveling of our once great nation. You belong in chains, and I hope that day soon comes.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

6. Time to ram in the rest of the judicial nominees.

Trump and the GOP are remaking the Federal Judiciary. Also, possibly being done in anticipation of needing time for a SCOTUS confirmation. If Kennedy or anyone is retiring, we will likely know in a few weeks.

[Sophia4]

7. McConnell is nervous about recess appointments.

And rightfully so.

That is my guess.

[pnwmom]

13. No, he could have a pro forma session with a handful of Senators if that was his concern.

He is doing this to keep Democrats from being in the states, campaigning to save their seats. Republicans have many fewer seats to defend this time around.

[Hortensis]

9. Smooth move, turtle face. Fwiw, "only" 10 Dem senators

are defending seats in red/purple states, not the whole 25 or 26 depending on how counting. To get control we need to hold those 10 and gain 2 (or hold fewer and gain more).

McConnell also has a big legislative agenda planned these 3 extra weeks will be working on, as described in this article.

Mitch McConnell's slow and steady summer plans for the Senate
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/04/politics/mitch-mcconnell-congress-senate-summer-plans/index.html

And this on the positive side:

The 6 Senate seats Democrats could maybe, possibly win from Republicans
The opportunities for Democrats to gain ground in the Senate, ranked from most to least likely.

1. Nevada: Dean Heller is in big, big trouble ...

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/5/2/17303554/senate-elections-2018-midterms-democrats-beto-orourke-kyrsten-sinema-dean-heller-jacky-rosen

[UpInArms]

10. Two words

Garland Merrick

... that was “historic” obstruction

[pangaia]

11. Our DEMS and WE need to get this shit to the public.

FAST.. yell it everywhere....

and DICTATORSHIPand LIES...
and

whew...

I'm outta breath...

[bitterross]

12. He want's to cram thru whan he can before he loses the majority.

Clearly, he feels they will loose the majority so this is about doing as much damage as possible before that.

[bearsfootball516]

17. Need 60 votes in the Senate.

[Yavin4]

14. Asshole shouldn't even be allowed to say the words: "Senate Obstruction"

He practically invented it.

[djacq]

16. What a hypocrite

With “The President Barrock Obama”, McConnell wanted to make him a one term President. GOP met in a tavern and planned to obstruct a progressive agenda. Republicans work the least and legislate less. Appointments and nominations of judges that qualify put through a record slow crawl.

Welcome to the Orange Clown Express Lane where the Republicans are working hard with a low bar to screw us Americans.

[Laffy Kat]

18. Keeping Dems. off the campaign trail. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

20. "The House still plans to be out for the full month."

The key piece is the House. Yes the Senate does confirmations but that isn't the bulk of what that chamber does.

And what the WaPo article seems to downplay is that there are weak Republicans who are "defending" Senate seats as well and not just NV, but TN & AZ.

The "spending bills" are supposed to "originate" from the House and although the Senate can generate language in a bill with the hope the House will attach that to a shell House-originated bill and not fool with it too much, the way the nut jobs are in the House, this process will be rife with rancor. Plus they have to work on the Farm Bill and that will be explosive (another House-originated requirement as it is a 5-year funding bill).

[heaven05]

21. historic obstruction"""""""""""

these racist hypocrites can never ever be trusted for any reason. Hell, mitch, you POS. Historic obstruction, the unprecedented obstruction was a fact for 8 long years. by you, ryan, bohner.

[SkatmanRoth]

22. My Way or the Highway - Mitch never heard of compromise

Perhaps if the Republicans offered balanced bills that worked to benefit the country as a whole, he would get more cooperation from the minority party. Offering up a bunch of bovine excrement that only advances one side is not going to get anywhere.

[mpcamb]

23. Besides keeping candidates off the campaign trail, dirty deeds get done. An accounting

in the fall may end trump's ability to function, tho.
Last days and all that, Mitch, you worthless soil spot.
When the house of cards falls I can only hope Mitch gets crushed beneath it.