Pressure grows for Congress to skip August vacation, 'keep promises'

Momentum is building for Congress to skip its August vacation and work on repealing Obamacare and approving a budget.

Bolstered by a Monday morning tweet of support from President Trump, those pushing to work through the month believe they have a rare chance to move on critical issues and deliver on key campaign promises that will help the Republican Party keep control of Congress.

So far the GOP leadership has dismissed calls to skip the summer vacation, and most are betting against a change.

But the president's pressure adds a new element to the debate. "It's helpful," Biggs told Secrets. ‘I'm glad he did it. He's sending the signal that there is no reason not" to cancel the break.

"Number one, you have to keep your promises. And the optics are so bad to take three, four, five weeks off," he said, adding, "It's not like I don't have things planned."

Proponents said that August should be used to finish work on repealing and replacing Obamacare, now stuck in the Senate, passing a budget, dealing with the upcoming debt ceiling deadline and getting a jump on tax reform.

"I cannot imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new HealthCare bill fully approved and ready to go!" Trump wrote on Twitter Monday morning.

The House Freedom Caucus has championed canceling the recess and started a Twitter hashtag #CancelAugustRecess.

A Lou Dobbs Fox poll put the results at 96 percent favoring a cancellation to 4 percent who didn't.

Biggs noted that Congress, unlike state legislatures, are "year-round" operations and should act that way. He suggested an alternative to the summer break: a longer Christmas vacation.