OK Senator Favors Canceling August Vacation To Continue Working

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told U.S. Senators most of their usual August vacation is canceled this year.

Oklahoma Senator James Lankford said he supports the move.

Typically, senators take off most of August, but Lankford and a dozen or so of his colleagues said there is too much to get done for them to leave Capitol Hill for that long this year.

Lankford said he's focused on the practical opportunity the extra time provides to get caught up on a backlog of Trump administration nominees who need Senate approval.

And, he said it gives the Senate a chance to do appropriations the right way.

Lankford said the Senate will be able to consider spending bills individually instead of cramming them all into one big spending bill as they've been doing.

"My push has been, if we can’t get nominations done, if we can’t get appropriations done, we have to be here in August as well because we have got to get those essential things done. 18 of the last 20 years, we’ve had an omnibus vote because the budget work has not been done. That’s unacceptable,” he said.

The Senate will be in recess the first week of August but then will head back to Washington D.C.

Many Democrats are complaining that this is politically motivated since it means they'll have less time to campaign.