Freshman Alabama Republican Sen. Luther Strange said Sunday that members of Congress needed to work through their summer recess to resolve issues including healthcare and taxes.
"We need to work as hard as President Trump is working," Strange told Fox News.
Strange admitted he was new to how Washington worked, having been in office for only five months after then-Alabama GOP Gov. Robert Bentley appointed him to fill the Senate seat left vacant when President Donald Trump appointed former Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions to serve as Attorney General.
"I have only been there a little over four months," he said. "It seems to me we should be rolling up our sleeves."
Taking a month off when healthcare and tax reform were not resolved "doesn't sit well with me," Strange said, adding, "And, I'm positive it doesn't sit well with the citizens of my state."
Strange said his constituents favored repealing Obamacare and replacing it later, if that was necessary, but explained, "Time will tell when we return to Washington."
Strange was among ten GOP lawmakers who last month sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging him to cancel or curtail the summer recess to take care of critical legislative issues. They maintained the congressional schedule would be too tight, given the amount of legislation before them.
Strange, who previously served as Alabama's attorney general, faces a challenging primary race in the state. A crowded field of 10 Republicans and eight Democrats qualified to compete in the special election that will take place Aug. 15 to fill the remainder of the seat's term.
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