What’s the opposite of a government shutdown? I guess it is a government that never recesses (i.e., takes a vacation). Now, of course, like anyone else, congressmembers have to take some time off. If nothing else, they need to talk to people in their states and districts. But they don’t have to go into recess if they have pressing unfinished business. They don’t need to go into recess if the minority party has wasted weeks of legislative time with stalling tactics and procedural obstruction. The House of Representatives has already left the Capitol, but they can always be called back for a few votes if a need arises. And the House is not needed at all for confirmation votes on the president’s nominees.
I know it’s a hard sell to ask the Senate Democratic caucus to forego their August vacation, but they really ought to keep in session at least until the GOP relents on allowing a vote on a Small Business bill, aid to the states, and a half dozen or so languishing appointments. As a political matter, the Dems will benefit by giving up some vacation time to fight for people’s jobs and by highlighting the filibustering of nominees. But, more importantly, they need to break the back of this obstruction, and one way to do it is to start screwing with the Republicans’ summer travel plans. Recess at the end of the week and they’ll come back to a chamber where nothing has changed. That’s bad for the economy, for employment, bad politically, and bad for making progress on legislation in the fall.