House Republicans announced Monday that the House will not be in session on Tuesday due to Winter Storm Stella, which is expected to dump up to a foot of snow on Washington, D.C., beginning Monday night.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office confirmed the move, citing a “large number” of flight cancellations across the country as Stella approaches the East Coast. The storm is expected to impact much of the Northeast, including New York and Philadelphia, both of which are expecting more than a foot of snow.
House Republican leaders called for a quick meeting of the House on Monday, in anticipation that lawmakers would not be able to meet Tuesday as planned due to the storm. The brief “pro forma” session was held at noon.
The House had no work planned Monday, and may be not be able to meet until Wednesday or even later, depending on the ability of members to return to Washington. McCarthy’s office announced that the House tentatively plans to reconvene on Wednesday afternoon and hold votes at 6:30 p.m.
The storm is complicating a big week for Republican leadership, which was hoping to corral votes in support of the American Heath Care Act. The legislation was also set to reach the House Budget Committee on Wednesday after passing the House Ways And Means and Energy And Commerce Committees.
The Senate was due to convene at 2 p.m., and hold a 5:30 p.m. vote on President Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Senate Republicans had made no announcement by 2:30 p.m. about whether the Senate would have to delay those plans.
