House Out Until Wednesday
Democratic leaders, under enormous pressure to allow Members more time to campaign at home, have decided there will be no votes in the House until Wednesday evening.
A revised schedule sent out Friday by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said the House will come in at 2 p.m. Wednesday for legislative business, with no votes until 6 p.m.
Democrats already had a light work schedule planned this month, but endangered lawmakers have been pressuring leadership to keep them in Washington, D.C., only if absolutely necessary. And with the party still divided over what to do on tax cuts, the only must-pass bill on the agenda is a continuing resolution keeping the government running after the start of the new fiscal year Oct. 1.
Hoyer said the House will take action on the small-business bill next week.
“Democrats are working hard to continue creating jobs and strengthening the economy and fighting against Republican plans to take us back to the failed policies of President Bush,” he said in a statement announcing the schedule change.
Democrats are still scheduling votes for September 24.