Republicans on Capitol Hill are worried that some of their own members won’t bother returning to work after the November midterms, according to Politico.
Lawmakers will come back to a long to-do list and, Politico reported, a mere 24 legislative days to get anything done.
“The question becomes: Who shows up for work after the elections?” Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) said in an interview. “Attendance is an issue right now.”
Scott said some items “ultimately … have to get done,” including an extension of government funding past Dec. 11 and the annual Pentagon policy bill. Farm, transportation and surveillance programs are also up for reauthorization, Politico reported, and "all carry potential partisan flashpoints."
Bipartisan bills overhauling energy permitting and the college sports industry are also pending, but Politico reported that many lawmakers fear they could be left behind if Democrats win control of either chamber and seek more influence over the final products.
“What do you think?” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said when asked about the prospects for bipartisan accomplishments in the lame duck session. “I mean, why? If you think about it, if Democrats win the House, why would they?”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune admitted last month that passing another reconciliation bill would be “difficult” even in a lame-duck session, Politico reported. Politico said that likely undercuts another idea Republicans have floated for the post-midterms session: clearing a debt-limit increase through the end of President Donald Trump’s term, which Thune has acknowledged as a possibility.
Retiring Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) said, “I don’t like that idea,” adding that she had to “hold my nose” in voting for the last debt-ceiling increase.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will also face a House vote on impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, forced by outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who lost his primary after Trump endorsed his opponent. Johnson has called the effort a “publicity stunt” and said Republicans would table it when the House returns. With the Iran war weighing on voters’ views of the GOP, Politico noted that some Republicans with an eye on the next election "could break ranks."
