McConnell delays August recess as health-care debate looms

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published 11 July 2017

The Senate's August recess will start two weeks later than scheduled, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Tuesday. The annual month-long recess now will not begin until the third week of August to allow the Senate time to "complete its work on the health-care reform" and then "turn to other important issues including the National Defense Authorization Act and the backlog of critical nominations," McConnell said.

McConnell blamed the delay on Democrats' "obstruction," claiming they have "mindlessly stalled" nominations and shown "a lack of cooperation." McConnell has struggled in recent weeks to secure enough Republican support to hold a vote on the bill he crafted to repeal and replace ObamaCare.

While some Republicans have been angling for this delay to happen, others might be in for a surprise. Talking Points Memo reported that "just minutes before McConnell's announcement," Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) told reporters that the recess delay was "not gonna happen." "It's hard enough to get members here on a Friday," Blunt said.