(Bloomberg) — Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he's delaying the Senate's August recess by two weeks after divided lawmakers have been unable to agree on how to revise the Better Care Reconciliation Act bill, health care legislation he proposed to change the Affordable Care Act.
McConnell of Kentucky said in a statement Tuesday that the five-week break will be shortened "to provide more time to complete action on important legislative items and process nominees that have been stalled by a lack of cooperation from our friends across the aisle."
McConnell's move provides breathing room to finish a health care overhaul and start on a backlog of other must-do business, including a defense policy bill. Lawmakers are also months behind schedule on the budget, face a deadline to raise the debt limit and must pass an appropriations bill by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.
President Donald Trump has called on lawmakers to complete health care legislation before going on recess.
If there were an imminent vote in the Senate, House Republican leadership would keep their chamber in session into the beginning of August, according to a GOP aide familiar with the plans. If the Senate works further into August and passes a health care bill, there would be intense pressure from the Trump administration to bring House members back to Washington for a vote, according to the aide.
