What is a Congressional "recess", and what do legislators do during them? Print Share
Friday, August 7, 2009
What is a Congressional "recess," and what do legislators do during them?
Congressional “recesses” are different from the ones we fondly remember from our elementary school days. Perhaps they are more aptly named “state work periods,” because most members of Congress spend recesses traveling around their districts and states.
Congress meets in Washington for almost the entire year. And in the Senate, we are typically in session Monday through Friday. That leaves small windows of time to travel back to our states. I look forward to state work periods because they give me an opportunity to meet with New Mexicans to get firsthand knowledge about the issues affecting our state.
Congress is in recess from August 7 - September 7. I will spend this recess period in New Mexico with constituents discussing health care and energy issues, among other things.