President Donald Trump floated cutting Congress’ two-week spring recess short as the Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues, but the move is unlikely as lawmakers are still negotiating, Fox News Digital has learned.
“It’s something that’s under consideration,” Trump told the New York Post on Tuesday, floating the possibility of calling lawmakers back to the nation’s capital as a 45-day partial DHS shutdown continues.
A GOP Senate source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital that while it’s possible Trump will call Congress back to the nation’s capital for a special session, it is unlikely, citing that lawmakers need legislative text to vote on — not a “show vote.”
“You don’t need senators on the floor until you have that something figured out, and that product text ready to go,” the source said. “And if we do have to call people back, they can get here pretty quickly.”
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Last week, the House passed its own version of a bill to restore Department of Homeland Security funding, ensuring all personnel are paid and “critical operations are resourced and ready” through May 22.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer swiftly called the bill “dead on arrival” in the Senate, meaning GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber do not have legislation to consider after Democratic colleagues rejected it.
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The Constitution grants the president the power to call Congress into a special session. The last time Congress was called into a special session was by President Harry Truman.
Congress is on recess until April 14.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told colleagues over the weekend that he would only bring senators back for DHS action if there were legislative text to vote on, not merely another procedural exercise. Thune is continuing negotiations during the congressional recess.
On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested during a press briefing that Congress’ recess should be cut short.
“But again, Congress needs to come back,” Leavitt told the briefing room. “Democrats need to fund the Department of Homeland Security so we can formally and fully get these great employees paid long into the future.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for response to Trump’s comments.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment on potentially calling lawmakers back to the capital but was referred to Trump’s remarks to the New York Post.
