Senate GOP's recess headache
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 12. Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Senate Republicans can't wait to get out of town.
Why it matters: But at least one senator will have to be the sacrificial lamb, presiding over what is called a "pro forma session," while MAGA rages online.
- And therein lies a very 2026, very GOP problem.
- In the chair and on camera, the presiding lawmaker can quickly become the avatar of a Senate that's unwilling or unable to pass the president's agenda. Cue the online anger.
- C-SPAN 2 used to put even procedural nerds to sleep in the summer. Now it's MAGA rage bait.
What we're hearing: Because of the online blowback, some senators are increasingly anxious about being in the chair for what would usually be short, uneventful sessions, multiple GOP Senate sources told Axios this week.
- They have some reason for their anxiety.
- "DISGUSTING! Missouri Senator JOSH HAWLEY Gavels in Pro-Forma Session to Block Trump from Making Recess Appointments," the Gateway Pundit posted in June.
How it works: Senators presiding are not personally deciding on a pro forma session. They are just filling a scheduled slot, taking their turn at a job no one is clamoring to do.
- But good luck explaining that to MAGA influencers, who are turning the arcane, behind-the-scenes Senate procedure into a vehicle for their anger and frustration that Trump's agenda isn't sailing through the Senate.
Zoom out: Trump and his online allies have increasingly been pressuring the Senate to skip the five-week August break scheduled to begin at the end of next week unless the SAVE America Act is passed.
- They've blasted out the mechanics of the unanimous-consent agreements leaders routinely use to arrange the break.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) has led the charge, much to the chagrin of many of his colleagues.
- Lee has vowed to object to any unanimous consent agreement to recess next week, which could force senators to go on the record in a more formal vote on whether to leave town.
- Online accounts with large conservative followings are keeping tallies of senators who say they are willing to stay in session to work on SAVE — though it's unclear whether they all would formally object to the break.
Zoom in: The August break is typically prime time for members to meet with constituents and campaign, especially in an election year.
- This year, Trump and prominent conservative accounts are poised to torch Senate Republicans for taking a "vacation" without delivering key priorities on his agenda.
- Since 2007, majorities under both parties have scheduled pro forma sessions during long breaks to keep the chamber technically in session and prevent the president from making recess appointments.
- The strategy was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2014.
The intrigue: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has not presided over a pro forma session since skipping an assigned April turn in protest of the Homeland Security funding package, sources familiar with the matter tell us.
- Scott frequently advocates for longer workweeks.
Flashback: It's not the first time the August break has been politically weaponized.
- In 2018, then-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) canceled most of the recess, citing Democratic obstruction of Trump nominees.
- It also conveniently kept vulnerable Democratic senators from campaigning in their states.
- At the time, 10 Democrats were fighting for reelection in states Trump had won, compared to just one Republican in a state Hillary Clinton had won.
