Recess for Grown Folks?!
Congress will be in recess until April 8th. While both Chambers of Congress (House and Senate) left D.C. for Easter Break, the work continues! Many confuse recess (aka district work or state periods) with vacation. Oh, not so! Any Hill staffer will tell you that recess can be just as busy as when Congress is in session. According to the Congressional Research Service, recess is a temporary suspension of a congressional session, in other words, a break within a congressional session. During recess, Members use this time to go back to their districts or states to continue Congressional work. This time is critical as Members need to spend time with constituents meeting with them one on one to keep abreast of the most important issues that are facing those living in the district. Members use this time to gather information on how to better vote and advocate for policy changes in D.C.
For Hill staffers, recess is an opportunity to catch up on all the things that they may have put in their “review during recess” files. Staff use this time to respond to backlogged emails, go deeper into legislation and policy that may be of interest to their boss, schedule meetings with constituents, or meet with other Hill staff to plan out the upcoming hearings, etc. One of the hardest parts of being a staffer is trying to balance competing policy interest while simultaneously meeting the needs of their bosses and constituents. Recess give staffers a chance to reset, re-focus, and most importantly catch their breath.
Though some Members and staffers take much needed vacations during a recess, critical behind the scenes work is still going on. Clearing up the misconception that staffers are kicking up their heels and chilling during recess is a must. Recesses are needed to keep the business of Congress going. Next time you hear Congress is in recess, which the longest recess period is in August, don’t think staffers are relaxing, think that they are catching up on very important work to better serve the public!