March 27, 2024

Ampac

Friendly Interior

Rep. Wittman urges Pelosi to cancel August recess

The Virginia Republican is worried that once they get back, Congress won’t have enough time to complete key appropriations bills.

WASHINGTON — Lawmakers are scheduled to adjourn on July 29.

But, in an op-ed piece in “The Hill,” Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Virginia, 1st District) explained why he sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking her to cancel the upcoming six-week August recess.

Wittman said when they return after Labor Day, there will be just days left before the October 1 beginning of the Fiscal Year 2023.

And Wittman worries that won’t leave enough time to complete work on the 12 appropriations bills–including OK’ing critical funding for the all-important National Defense Authorization Act.

“It’s great to be back home, but we still have an obligation to get the work done. The most important thing we do in the House is the appropriation side,” he said.

Wittman voiced concern that Congress will not finish work on the defense funding bill, and the Pentagon will again have to begin a new fiscal year under a “Continuing Resolution”–with funding frozen at the prior’s year’s levels.

“If you were going to dream up a way about how not to run a government, about how not to run a business, your blueprint would be a continuing resolution,” he said.

Besides defense, Wittman also cites, “soaring inflation, skyrocketing energy costs, an unprecedented border crisis, and mounting national security challenges” as reasons why congress needs to not go on vacation but to stay on the job.