Republicans appear more willing to work through the month-long August recess in order to make progress on healthcare reform, tax reform, and appropriations bills, according to The Hill.
Appropriations bills are "very far behind," former Rep. Jim Walsh, R-N.Y., said, The Hill reports.
"I think there's a majority that probably supports being here," Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., said, according to The Hill, adding, "I don't want to wait until the last week… that's ridiculous."
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, has urged leaders for two weeks to cancel the recess.
"I think absolutely we should truncate or cancel recess. We have a huge agenda. I think we can get a lot of it done, but what we don't have is time," Sullivan said, The Hill notes.
"Congress has no business taking a recess when the people's business remains unfinished," Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said, according to The Hill.
The House Freedom Caucus members have favored canceling the recess, issuing a June 6 statement that urged House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to work through the recess to "accomplish the priorities of the American people."
Rep. Tom Cole said if the Senate passed a healthcare reform bill, the chances that lawmakers would stay through the recess would increase.
Legislators calculated that 45 work days remain until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, according to The Hill. However, a Senate aide said it did not appear likely the recess would be canceled.
Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have not mentioned the possibility that the recess could be canceled, according to CBS News.
"Are they going to get all 52 Senate Republicans to do this? Perdue and Sullivan talking is fine, but every time members say they need to stay and work over a recess, there's usually a (congressional delegation) trip somewhere," that had already been planned, the aide said, The Hill reports.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., expressed some doubt that providing more time by cutting the August recess would help.
"I'm a firm believer that the amount of work you have expands to fit the amount of time you give to it. Deadlines sharpen a man's mind," he said, The Hill reports.
Chip Saltsman, a Republican strategist, told The Hill that Republicans must face their constituents back home if they go to recess without healthcare reform or other major legislation passed.
"If you're going back and you're meeting with constituents, what can you point to and say, 'This is what we've done after the first six months of controlling the entire apparatus of the federal government?"
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