WASHINGTON — Lawmakers returned to the Capitol on Monday after a five-week recess, gaveled in, and voted almost immediately to begin a new recess, citing the emotional toll of coming back from the last one.
"People don't understand how draining a recess can be," said one senior House member, lying across three seats in the back of the chamber. "You're flying home, you're cutting ribbons, you're eating a funnel cake at the county fair while somebody films it. By the time you get back here, you're in no condition to legislate."
The session lasted eleven minutes, eight of which were spent finding the presiding officer's reading glasses. The remaining three were devoted to the recess vote, which passed 412 to 3.
Under the resolution, the new recess will run through mid-January and be followed by a "re-entry period" to help members readjust to working, consisting of a four-day retreat at a ski resort, which will itself be followed by a brief recess.
The three no votes came from freshman members who said they had "stuff to do." All three have since been reassigned to the Subcommittee on Folding Chairs.
Congressional staff also released a revised legislative calendar for 2027 showing 19 working days, down from 23, with leadership explaining that the four days were cut "to prevent burnout." The new calendar includes a full week in March labeled only "Big Nap."
At press time, lawmakers had voted to award themselves hazard pay for the eleven minutes.