Democratic leaders called on House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) today to cancel plans to recess at the end of this week for campaigning lawmakers to head back to their home districts.
“Democrats do not believe the House should recess this week, or at all, until we have met our responsibilities to the American people,” says the letter from Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Assistant Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.), Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.), Caucus Vice Chair Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), and Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
The House is scheduled to recess Friday with last votes no later than 3 p.m.
“The American people have every right to expect more than the eight days of voting you have allotted between August 3 and election day on November 6,” they wrote. “As members of the Democratic leadership, we are writing to urge that the Republican leadership not adjourn the House this week, as you have planned. Doing so would make us the earliest Congress to leave town to campaign in more than 50 years. It would be a dereliction of our duty to lead; it does not honor our responsibility to the American people.”
The Dems encouraged that the House pass a plan to avert budget sequestration, extend the Bush-era tax cuts except for upper-income brackets, pass President Obama’s jobs bill, and “keep working” to pass a Farm Bill.
“Democrats are committed to staying in session as long as it takes to ensure certainty for the middle class, growth for the economy, and the creation of jobs for the American people,” they wrote. “The American people want us to work together and we’re ready to get the job done.”
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