Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority leader next year, is setting an ambitious goal: The 2023 legislative calendar he released Wednesday envisions the chamber adjourning for the final time next year on Dec. 14.
The House would return Jan. 3 and be in session for a total of 117 days. But not a single one in August, with Scalise proposing the chamber’s annual summer recess to begin when the House adjourns on Friday, July 28 and run until Tuesday, Sept. 12.
The chamber would be in session 13 days in January, one of its busiest months. October and February would be the second-slowest, behind August, with eight legislative days planned.
Lawmakers and the White House have yet to settle on full-year appropriations for fiscal 2023, with a continuing resolution set to expire on Dec. 16. Should they find a way to keep the government functioning until the end of the fiscal year, on Sept. 30, Congress would need to pass some kind of fiscal 2024 measure by 11:59 p.m. that day.
Scalise, currently the minority whip, has the House in session Sept. 18-21 and Sept. 26-29. Weekend sessions are not planned under the Scalise calendar, but could always be added, should more time to work out a funding deal be required.
The calendar features traditional recesses around the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in January, Presidents Day in February, Memorial Day in late May and early June, Independence Day in July and Labor Day in September.
It also calls for the House to pause for Thanksgiving starting on Friday, Nov. 17 and returning to session on Tuesday, Nov. 28. That would be followed by a 12-day sprint to the holiday break — if the government is funded, that is.
For instance, there are whispers about “Christmas in the Capitol” this year as talks have, so far, failed to bring about a spending pact.
For those eying long weekend plans, Scalise envisions the House being in session on 12 Fridays. That includes two in March (10th and 24th), a pair in July (14th and 28th) and two in September (15th and 29th).
Senate Democratic leaders have not yet released that chamber’s calendar for the coming new year.
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