House Republican leaders warned lawmakers on Wednesday that a Saturday session might be possible if negotiations for completing a deal on government funding continue to drag on in the Senate.
“I heard the Senate majority leader said they are going to stay,” Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters Wednesday after meeting with Republicans.
The House is currently scheduled to work until Sept. 30, but House lawmakers are eager to return to their districts to campaign ahead of the November election, and a weekend session would allow them to wrap up work without having to reconvene next week.
As of Wednesday morning, however, the schedule was completely up in the air. McConnell announced Tuesday it is likely the Senate will be in session next week, which means a deal on spending might not firm up until then.
A top aide to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told the Washington Examiner no decision has been made on scheduling.
In anticipation of a deal, the Senate on Tuesday advanced a “shell” bill that would be used to pass the deal. The package is expected to fund the government until Dec. 9 and provide $1.1 billion for the federal government to combat the Zika virus.
Ryan said the House may be in session because of a rule requiring a three-day waiting period for lawmakers to review legislation before its leaders bring it to the floor for a vote.
