The U.S. Senate adjourned until after the November elections after Democrats blocked two Republican bills on data-center costs and congressional stock trades, leaving unfinished business for a short return.
Senators packed up Wednesday so members facing voters could head home and campaign. They are scheduled to return Nov. 9, then work only eight days in November and 14 in December, counting Fridays that are not typical Senate work days.
UPI reported that lawmakers left a pile of unfinished work for the brief November and December sessions. Just before they left, the chamber voted to approve Keith Sonderling as President Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of labor.
Republicans used the final day to force Democrats onto the record on two measures. One asked states to consider new ways to protect taxpayers from the cost of upgrading water infrastructure for data centers. The other would ban members of Congress from buying publicly traded stocks.
Democrats blocked both bills mostly along party lines. They called the effort “toothless” show votes.
Majority Leader John Thune did not buy the excuse on the data-center measure. He pointed to strong House support for the same idea and tied the Senate block to election-year politics.
Thune said:
"Given the overwhelming support for this measure in the House, it’s difficult to conclude that Senate Democrats blocked this bill for any reason other than the desire to deny Republicans another win in an election year, which is a pretty poor reason."
He also said Republicans succeeded in putting Democrats on the record before the recess.
Republicans were already looking past the Capitol to the map. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said members in tight races needed to get home. Time in Washington, he argued, costs real campaign work.
Tillis said:
"Every time you’re here, it’s a fundraiser you can’t host or it’s a town hall you can’t speak at. We need to get them back in the state. Invariably, the people who want to stick here, they all have one thing in common: They’re not up [for reelection] this cycle."
He also warned that the party’s numbers may shrink. Tillis predicted a net loss and thinner margins after November.
Tillis said:
"I think we’ll have a net loss. I think it’s unlikely we’d have the same numbers. The margins will be thinner."
In the weeks before adjournment, the most impactful bill the Senate passed was an overhaul of college sports. That ranking did not impress everyone in the conference.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said last week that ordinary families are not losing sleep over coaches and athletic departments.
Kennedy said:
"I can assure you that moms and dads out there across America, when they lie down to sleep at night, they’re not worried about the football coaches."
Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., struck a harder note on governing while Republicans hold the gavel. He framed control as a responsibility to keep the government’s books straight.
Justice said:
"No matter how much you love us as Republicans, we’re in control. If you can’t pay the bills, you’ve got a real problem with us."
The schedule now is tight. Eight November days and 14 December days leave little room to finish what was left undone, especially with Fridays counted in those totals.
Democrats walked away from the two forced votes. Republicans walked away with a confirmed labor secretary nominee and a clear record of who blocked taxpayer and ethics measures in an election year.
When senators return after the votes are cast, the unfinished file will still be waiting, and so will the voters who watched them leave.
