WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday canceled three quarters of the chamber's summer recess, handing his Republican Party (GOP) an edge as the midterm elections near.
McConnell told a closed-door lunch that the traditionally one-month long recess in August has been knocked down to one week, a move widely supported and anticipated by fellow Republicans.
"We have a lot of important work to do, it's necessary for us to be here in August and to do our work," McConnell said.
The Republican Party, which now holds 51 seats in the chamber, hopes to take advantage of its majority before the upcoming midterms to push more legislation through the pipeline in the three extra weeks.
McConnell's call was welcomed by the White House, as its spokeswoman Sarah Sanders noted in the daily press briefing that U.S. President Donald Trump applauded the extended working time.
"There's been historic obstruction by Senate Democrats, and there's a long to-do list, including important nominations and appropriations bills that we hope they can get taken care of," Sanders said.
While a handful of Democrat Senators reluctantly accepted the adjusted schedule, most Democrats accused the decision of being politically motivated to create an unfair playing field for the midterm elections.
This year, Democrats are defending 26 Senate seats, 10 of which are in states that Trump carried in 2016. Democrats say Republicans are deliberately trying to keep them in Washington in order to limit their campaign time.
Although the midterm elections, in which one third of Senate seats, all House seats and many governorships are up for re-election, are slated for November, primary election and campaign are already in full swing in a number of states.
