ith a massive set of budget cuts looming and set to take place one March 1, Congress has next week off. The House and Senate schedules, which are set by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, are not exactly strenuous. The House is only scheduled to be in session for 120 days in 2013 and is off at least two weeks per month. When the House is in session they typically work less than 3 full days.
Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn (D-SC) a released a statement on the Republican Leadership’s decision to go into recess without taking action to prevent budget sequestration set to take effect on March 1:
“When the 113th Congress convened last month, I expressed my hope that the Republican Leadership would abandon the extreme partisan gamesmanship that hallmarked the 112th Congress and produced record low public approval ratings. Sadly, today’s action demonstrates that the Republican Leadership has decided to continue to defy the expressed will of the American people.
“Two weeks from today, draconian budget cuts are set to take effect. Democrats have proposed a balanced plan to prevent this mindless, meat axe approach to budget cuts, but House Republicans voted to adjourn the House without taking action on this pressing matter. The American people deserve better than the Republicans’ failed leadership.”
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