roll call logo placeholder image

Senate to Take Weeklong Break Without Adjourning

Updated: 7:37 p.m.

The Senate will stay in pro forma session next week after failing to agree Thursday to adjourn for its scheduled weeklong Memorial Day recess.

Senate Budget ranking member Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) threatened this week to block any unanimous consent request to adjourn because Senate Democrats had not offered a budget resolution for a floor vote. Other Republican Senators were also fighting adjournment to prevent President Barack Obama from making recess appointments.

Sen. Jim DeMint, who is part of the GOP movement to block recess appointments, applauded the decision not to vote to adjourn.

“President Obama has been packing federal agencies with left-wing ideologues, but thankfully he won’t be able to for at least the next week,” the South Carolina Republican said in a statement. “The House will not be sending an adjournment resolution to the Senate, we will remain in pro forma session, and no controversial nominees will be allowed to circumvent the confirmation process during the break.”

The Senate's next vote is scheduled for June 6.

Slideshow |

Back Play/Pause Forward Slideshow Image
Sen. Scott Brown arrives in the Capitol via the Senate subway for votes on the Food and Drug Administration reauthorization bill on Thursday.
See More Multimedia
Defense Sequester Policy Briefing

Defense Sequester Policy Briefing

Nobody seems to like the automatic Pentagon spending cuts set for January, but there is little Congressional agreement on an alternative.

Congress.org

SIGN IN




OR

SUBSCRIBE

Receive daily coverage of the people, politics and personality of Capitol Hill.