Mitch McConnell cancels Congress's summer vacation

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• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cancelled the August recess, requiring senators to stay in Washington for the summer.
• McConnell cited the backlog of executive nominees for the decision.

WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell informed colleagues on Tuesday that the August recess, during which lawmakers return to their home states for constituent work and campaigning, will not be a full five weeks this year.

McConnell made good on the annual threat to keep the Senate in session for August, but also allowing senators to return to their states for just one week earlier in the month.

The Kentucky Republican said that Democrats' slow-rolling executive nominees was the catalyst for cancelling recess and that the extended time in session will be spent working on confirmations and appropriations bills.

"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," McConnell said in a statement. "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."

The move will do more than cancel vacations for a hefty number of Senate staffers; it will effectively prevent vulnerable Democrats in red states, of which there are several, from hitting the campaign trail while their challengers have free roam across their respective states.