Republicans heading home for their summer recess will now have to explain to their hometown voters what they have been doing in Washington, D.C. — and they are not happy about that.
According to a Politico report, GOP lawmakers who spoke with the outlet after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) sent everyone home early are fully aware that they will be facing voters' wrath after getting little done despite their majorities in both chambers.
GOP members are heading back to their districts knowing they have a messaging nightmare on their hands. The issues voters care most about — rising gas prices, inflation, healthcare costs — have consumed the nation's attention while Congress accomplished little.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise attempted to project confidence, but his words revealed underlying anxiety.
"All of these issues will come up. I mean, Iran will absolutely come up," he acknowledged Thursday. "Cost of living comes up. Safety and security, border security comes up. All of them come up, you know, and that's why it's important to remind people that we're addressing those issues."
As Politico reported, Republicans aren't addressing these issues effectively, and voters know it. The Iran war continues bleeding American resources and driving up fuel prices and the economy remains a "disaster" for working families.
"The timing of the war powers vote right as members were leaving town — where among the four Republicans defecting was Rep. Tom Barrett, a vulnerable incumbent fighting to hold onto his competitive Michigan seat — had an unsettling effect among some House GOP lawmakers already spooked by poll numbers appearing to favor Democrats for a takeover in 2027," according to the report.
“We have a hell of a lot of work to do, that’s clear,” one House Republican who was granted anonymity told Politico.