WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives on July 25 canceled its last week of business before the planned August recess and adjourned one week early without considering several government spending bills for the forthcoming fiscal year.
Congress is required to pass 12 separate appropriations bills to fund all aspects of the federal government by Sept. 30, before the new fiscal year begins.
House Speaker Mike Johnson previously vowed to pass all 12 bills before the August recess or remain in Washington until the bills were passed. However, the House adjourned after passing only five bills, while seven others—funding the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and independent agencies—were not considered.
“I think that’s a disgrace,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told The Epoch Times regarding the adjournment. “We have really one duty, and that is to pass a budget, and we haven’t done that in 30 years.”
The last time Congress completed the budgeting and appropriations process on time was for fiscal year 1997.
“I disagree with leaving town early. I think we ought to keep getting our work done,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told The Epoch Times.
“There’s a small group of Republicans that, once again, voted with the Democrats to defeat one bill and are about to defeat a second one,” Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.) told The Epoch Times. “These are highly conservative bills, so if we don’t get all the Republicans to vote for him, we can’t pass them on the floor because our margins are so small.”
Other Republican members indicated their dissent from conservative provisions in the bills, which have been opposed by nearly all Democrats.
“I wasn’t going to vote for a piece of legislation that imposed a ban on birth control,” Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) told The Epoch Times.
The House will return on Sept. 10, after a period of district work that is customary in August every year. When it returns, both houses of Congress will only have 13 days to pass all 12 bills—or a temporary continuing resolution—to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.
Some Republicans defended the decision to recess without passing the bills.
“The Senate has done none,” Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) told The Epoch Times when asked about the adjournment. “Best for us to leave town and let the American people focus on the election.”
The Senate will remain in session until Aug. 2 before leaving for recess; however, unlike the House, it has not passed a single appropriations bill. Seven bills have advanced to the Senate floor out of the Appropriations Committee, though a vote on them has not been scheduled. Senators dismissed criticism from the House for inaction on the bills, citing their recess.
“We have different procedures, different dynamics here,” Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) told The Epoch Times when asked about House criticism of the Senate’s progress.
“We should be passing appropriation bills, but you have to talk to my Republican colleagues who often slow things down,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) told The Epoch Times.
“The House should not criticize anyone since they’re going out of session next week, and we won’t be able to do any appropriations,” Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.) said.
Mr. Johnson on July 24 attributed the cancelation to funeral arrangements in Houston for the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who died on July 19, which he said many members of Congress are seeking to attend.
