House Republicans are starting Independence Day celebrations early this week, with lawmakers cutting town a day earlier than most of their voters.
According to Roll Call, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Wednesday that the House will not be expected to hold any votes on Friday–essentially cutting the week short and letting lawmakers head home and begin their Fourth of July celebrations a little bit early.
Roll Call notes that this is the second time in June that McCarthy has scrapped a Friday session. The House does not typically meet for a full five days, but Republicans had pushed a longer week earlier this year to get more of their agenda passed.
But agendas have not been getting through in either chamber. In the House, plans for tax reform have so far not made any inroads, with Roll Call reporting that a bill is not likely to fire up until the fall.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced this week that a planned vote on the Senate’s healthcare reform bill before the July 4 recess was being punted. Republican leaders have failed to gather the 50 votes needed to get the bill through.
Congress’s inaction to get major legislation done is likely to increase pressure on lawmakers to cut the August recess. A number of lawmakers are already getting behind the proposal.
Roll Call notes a number of spending bills that will also need to be passed, including a 12-bill omnibus package to fund GOP spending agendas. The House needs to find a way to fund the government by September 30–the end of the fiscal year.
Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY.
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