Chuck Schumer and the Democrats have been drooling over the possibility of winning back Congress this November.
Seizing both chambers would allow them to launch impeachment proceedings against President Trump.
But Schumer’s big plans went down in flames because of this shocking statement.
President Trump has been pushing Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to cancel the upcoming August recess.
After months of hemming and hawing, McConnell finally followed through on the President’s request.
McConnell put out a statement explaining that he canceled the August recess due to unprecedented obstruction.
The Majority Leader wrote:
“Due to the historic obstruction by Senate Democrats of the president’s nominees, and the goal of passing appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year, the August recess has been canceled. Senators should expect to remain in session in August to pass legislation, including appropriations bills, and to make additional progress on the president’s nominees.”
Montana Senator Steve Daines applauded McConnell’s move because it will allow the Senate to confirm President Trump’s nominees and pass a budget before the September 30th deadline, preventing Democrats from using their leverage to kill funding for Trump’s border wall.
Daines told Breitbart:
“I spent 28 years in the private sector before coming to Congress. I’ve never heard of such a thing as taking a month off in the summertime, an August recess,” Daines, who served as a senior executive both with consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble and Montana tech success story RightNow Technologies, told House. “If you’re gonna drain the swamp, you’ve gotta keep the pumps running in August. Let’s stay here, do the work of the people.”
The announcement is also bad news for the Democrats on a second front.
Democrats must flip two seats to win back the majority in the Senate.
The GOP is facing competitive races in Tennessee, Arizona and Nevada.
It is possible, given the Democrats surge in enthusiasm – and until now, the GOP’s refusal to fight for Trump’s agenda – that the Democrats could pull that off.
But the GOP’s reason for optimism is that Democrats are also defending ten Senate seats in states Trump won.
Canceling the August recess has the benefit of forcing Democrats in red states such as West Virginia, Montana, Indiana, Ohio and North Dakota to appease their liberal base by voting against Trump’s nominees and policy agenda.
Forcing the Senators to remain in Washington also keeps them off their home turf for fundraising.
This gives the GOP challengers a clear field to raise money and hone their attacks on their Democrat opponents.
Given that the Senate map is tilted in the GOP’s favor and a booming economy has led to Trump’s approval numbers rising, Democrats were already facing an uphill climb to win back the Senate.
McConnell following Trump’s suggestion to cancel the August recess throws yet another wrench into Schumer’s plans.
Even if Democrats win the House, an impeachment trial in a GOP controlled Senate would be a complete nonstarter.
If Democrats win the Senate – even if the Senate votes to acquit Trump on whatever baseless charges a Nancy Pelosi led House fabricates – a Senate trial would be staged by the Democrats to embarrass the President heading into his re-election.
Thanks to Donald Trump repeatedly asking for the August recess to canceled, that scenario has become far less likely.
