Congress Protects Nation From Governing Until Midterms

Congress protected the nation from federal lawmaking this week by leaving Washington until after the November 3 midterms, eliminating the risk that elected officials might accidentally address the problems they are campaigning against. The Senate departed September 30, while the House had already cleared out two weeks earlier after Speaker Mike Johnson canceled its final voting day. Both chambers will remain safely beyond governing range throughout October, allowing disputes over energy costs, artificial intelligence, congressional stock trading and government funding to ripen into more useful campaign material.

Johnson described the recess as a landmark exercise in representative absence. “This is exactly what the American people elected us to do: come to Washington, explain why Washington does not work, and then leave before our presence creates any confusing evidence to the contrary,” he said. “Every canceled vote protects hardworking families from the uncertainty of learning whether Congress can actually solve something.” Johnson added that lawmakers could govern from their districts by appearing at county fairs, pointing at grocery prices and warning voters about the capital city they had just abandoned.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune provided additional stability by departing after proposals involving data-center electricity costs and congressional stock purchases failed to advance. The result preserved two cherished congressional traditions: permitting technology companies to consume power without troublesome scrutiny and allowing lawmakers to trade stocks while receiving merely coincidental briefings on the industries involved. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries objected that Americans “deserve better,” reviving the fringe constitutional theory that members of Congress should occasionally be inside Congress.

Lawmakers will spend the next month condemning Washington dysfunction from locations selected for their distance from Washington. Incumbents are expected to promise lower costs, tougher oversight and decisive action, all of which would have faced immediate procedural danger had the Capitol remained occupied. Members plan to return in mid-November refreshed, possibly reelected and fully prepared to demand emergency action on deadlines they personally left unattended. By refusing to govern until voters finish grading their performance, Congress has once again removed politics from government.

* None of the quotes in this article were spoken by an actual person. More info.