RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesCongress left Washington with homework left undone. Eric Garcia writes about what to watch when the House and Senate are away
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S chool’s out for summer...or something like that for Congress.
After a marathon series of votes Friday evening into Saturday morning, the Senate broke for recess. That comes as the House already broke for it two weeks ago. The Senate confirmed Todd Blanche to be attorney general , passed a stopgap spending bill known as a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown and a bill to sanction Russia named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
As much as House and Senate leadership routinely says that the August recess is not vacation, but rather a “district work period,” it’s hard to shake the idea that Congress has unfinished business. The stopgap funding bill means that the Senate has not crafted the 12 spending bills that are supposed to keep the government open, putting pressure on the most vulnerable incumbent Republican senator : Susan Collins of Maine, the Appropriations Committee chairwoman.
In addition, while the House passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which is rife with anti-trans and culture war riders, the Senate has yet to pass its version due to Democrats objecting to the War in Iran .
And unsurprisingly, Senate Republicans have not passed the SAVE America Act , President Donald Trump’s top priority legislation that would not only require identification to vote, but also proof of citizenship when registering. The president has said that Democrats can only win elections by cheating even though there is little evidence of his claims that Democrats rig elections.
The president had suggested that the Senate cancel its August recess , which Senate Majority Leader John Thune roundly swatted down. And when Republican gadflies like Sen. Mike Lee of Utah had the opportunity to object to the Senate adjourning, they did not take it.
But whether it’s a recess, a work period, campaign season for the midterms or something else, don’t expect it to be easy for either side.
All of the members of the House will head home with many hoping they are reelected for another two-year term. A third of the Senate will also be asking voters in November to choose them. That makes this summer prime campaign season in home districts - and the fall’s decision will shape who controls DC for the remainder of Trump’s term.
On the Republican side, they have to reckon with the fact that ever since passing the One Big, Beautiful Bill, they have not done much in terms of passing major legislation. And voters still are not entirely sold on the legislation’s merits.
Republicans have sought to rebrand the law as the “Working Families Tax Cuts Act,” but it does not seem to have done much to improve American perception of the GOP. A Fox News poll from July showed that 54 percent of voters think that Democrats would handle the economy better. The same poll showed that 54 percent of voters also think Democrats would do a better job on inflation, the primary reason voters put Trump back in the Oval Office.
Voters have also turned off Trump with numerous polls showing unapproval no matter the area of the nation.
But that does not mean that Democrats are home free. The party still faces the internal war between the establishment and the insurgent left. Last week, Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan despite millions of dollars by pro-Israel and other outside money groups for Rep. Haley Stevens.
This week, there will be another tussle in Wisconsin. Democrats hope that their anointed candidate David Crowley can stop socialist candidate Francesca Hong. The stakes are especially high in the perpetual swing state, given Democrats have a chance to control all three branches for the first time in more than a decade. Gov. Tony Evers has thrown his weight behind Crowley to prevent a candidate who has made a series of inflammatory statements about abolishing police and canceling Thanksgiving from winning the primary .
Then, in neighboring Minnesota, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, the preferred candidate of progressives, squares off against moderate Rep. Angie Craig for the nomination to replace Sen. Tina Smith.
The stakes are decidedly lower here, but Flanagan has signaled that she would not support Chuck Schumer as Senate Democratic leader. So far, Juliana Stratton, the Democratic nominee for Senate, has said the same, as has El-Sayed. If they win their seats, this bloc could cause a world of trouble for Schumer.
All of this to say that this will be far from a dull moment during the primary. For Republicans, they are trying to find a way to shake off an unpopular president during the tenth year of him being atop the party during a sluggish economy and an unpopular war. Democrats, for their part, want figure out who they are ahead of the midterm, but also to craft a winning message for 2028.
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