Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday that he welcomes the cancellation of the August recess and that Senate Democrats will focus on healthcare during the extra month in Washington.
“We Democrats welcome this additional time because it gives us the opportunity to address the issue that’s on the top of the minds of so many of the American people, and one that Republicans have badly mishandled up to this point — healthcare,” Schumer said.
“We welcome the opportunity to address it, and we’re going to work very hard in August to require our Republican colleagues to do something about it,” Schumer added.
Earlier in the day Tuesday, McConnell announced that he was nixing the August recess amid pressure from a horde of Senate Republicans over judicial nominations, citing concerns about “the historic obstruction by Senate Democrats of the president’s nominees.” He also emphasized a “goal of passing appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year.”
The move could prove advantageous for Republicans heading into the midterms, as they only have nine seats to defend compared to 26 for Senate Democrats.
