Democratic lawmakers are skipping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech on Capitol Hill, prompting criticism that they should show respect to a foreign dignitary.
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A political summer breeze has swept across Capitol Hill over the past two weeks, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle taking advantage of the congressional recess to escape Washington's summer heat. Both the House and Senate have adjourned for a four-to-six-week period between late July and early September, but this year's recess has been more like a political gale.
Yacht Rock Politics: Democrats Sit Out Netanyahu Speech Amid Summer Breeze on Capitol Hill
Lawmakers have barely spent any time in session over the past few months, with both chambers taking off a week in the middle of July for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. That was after an abbreviated week in Washington just after the Fourth of July. Congress was also out of session from late June until after the Fourth.
The House adjourned early last month, cutting one week off its schedule, and has only convened for a handful of weeks since May 24. This extended recess has given lawmakers plenty of time to relax and recharge before the fall and winter, which will be a challenging period in Congress.
Yacht Rock Politics: Democrats Sit Out Netanyahu Speech Amid Summer Breeze on Capitol Hill
The fall and winter will be crucial for lawmakers, as they will face a number of challenges, including a government shutdown in late September, the upcoming presidential election, and control of both the House and Senate. All lawmakers are required to figure out a way to avoid a government shutdown, but it is doubtful that they will be able to accomplish much else.
A cryptocurrency bill may be passed in the lame duck session, but it is doubtful. A tax bill involving credits for parents is also unlikely to pass. Legislation offered by GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to bolster rail safety after the Norfolk Southern crash in East Palestine, Ohio, early last year is also unlikely to pass.
Yacht Rock Politics: Democrats Sit Out Netanyahu Speech Amid Summer Breeze on Capitol Hill
Democrats do not want to award Vance a legislative victory just before the election, and Republicans are not willing to help Brown. He faces one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country against GOP challenger Bernie Moreno.
A farm bill is also unlikely to pass during this period. Lawmakers will instead focus on their campaigns, as Democrats aim to cling to control in the Senate and stand a good chance of flipping the House. Democrats are especially enthused about their chances now that President Biden has effectively ceded the Democratic nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Yacht Rock Politics: Democrats Sit Out Netanyahu Speech Amid Summer Breeze on Capitol Hill
Republicans contend that 14 million voters cast ballots for Biden in the Democratic primaries earlier this year, but Biden was "still the one" for several weeks after the debate debacle in Atlanta in late June. Once Biden stepped aside, Democrats quickly courted voters who may have abandoned them.
Some lawmakers will welcome the early respite from Capitol Hill, as most House and Senate incumbents lack competitive races this fall. They may not find themselves in "Margaritaville," but who can blame them if they skip out of the 100-degree heat of Washington for a Caribbean destination?
Former President Trump certainly has a contingent of ultra-loyalists who are happy to campaign on his behalf, hoping to score a potential Cabinet post or at least avoid his ire. Many Democrats are now supercharged that Biden will not be on the ballot, and they will likely do all they can for Harris.
Other lawmakers will coast during this period, perhaps secretively "Stealing Away," as Robbie Dupree sang. They may be found sipping chardonnay or a dry martini on a yacht somewhere as the sun sets across the water.
Yacht rock may not capture all that is going on in politics right now, but one can understand the need to just check out of the political environment this month, especially after the drama involving Biden and the attempted assassination of Trump.
Congress will be back in due time in early September, and tens of millions of people will cast their ballots. But until then, lawmakers will enjoy the yacht rock period of politics, which is much more pleasant than the classic rock season of elections and governing.
