Following the passage of government funding legislation, the House of Representatives on Thursday canceled all scheduled votes for the remainder of September, significantly compressing its legislative calendar before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The decision marks a notable reversal from Speaker Mike Johnson’s stance earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Johnson asserted that Republicans intended to maintain their existing schedule, which had been in place for a year, and insisted they would work through every day planned for September provided legislative progress was not obstructed.
However, with the funding bill now approved through Dec. 11—clearing Johnson’s primary legislative priority—the leadership opted to shorten the session. Lawmakers will conduct a brief vote series Friday morning before departing for district work during the Labor Day holiday. The break also coincides with the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas.
The House is scheduled to reconvene on Sept. 14 for four days of business before adjourning again on Sept. 17. This leaves six weeks for campaign activities leading up to the midterm elections.
While sparse floor schedules are common during election years, the sudden change contradicts Johnson’s earlier comments. Lawmakers will return later for a lame duck session beginning Nov. 9, which will provide five additional weeks of legislative activity before the conclusion of the 119th Congress.
Wait, so he said he’d work every day on Tuesday? This U-turn is giving major flip-flop energy. Voters will notice.
Six weeks in the district makes sense for fundraising. Maybe this is just smart political maneuvering after all?
I’m just surprised they are leaving so early. Doesn’t the public need more oversight right now? Seems like a step backward.
Funny how ‘working through every day’ vanished once the spending bill passed. Guess that was the only thing on the agenda.
This timeline is chaotic. Four days now, then lame duck in November? How do constituents get help between sessions?