August 15, 2018
Washington, DC
Signatures updated: 8/20/18
For a large part of 2018, conservatives have been urging the Senate to work harder. As an organization, we have issued multiple memos asking the Senate to stay in session for more than 2.5 days a week, to use the full measure of the Senate’s rules against Democrats obstructing the president’s nominees, and to cancel August recess if congressional spending bills are not approved. To that end, we enthusiastically supported the efforts of sixteen United States senators when they urged the Senate to stay in session through August.
On June 5, Majority Leader McConnell announced the Senate would work through its August recess. However, despite that announcement, the Senate has not worked a single day since August 1. The Senate is scheduled to return at 5:30pm on August 15, to likely adjourn less than 24 hours later on or about 2:00pm on August 16. It remains to be seen if the Senate will do any work in the remaining two weeks of August.
Should they choose to keep their pledge to work this month, there is plenty of work to do.
The end of the fiscal year is rapidly approaching and not a single appropriations bill has been sent to the president’s desk. There are 49 judges still waiting to be confirmed, and as of July 30, 151 executive branch nominations pending on the Senate calendar.
Promises that the Senate will start working again have rung hollow. When the Senate returns on August 15, we urge the Senate’s leadership to craft a schedule that most Americans would recognize: five days a week, with measurable progress.
With less than forty legislative days left before the end of the year, the Senate has precious little time to waste in confirming the president’s nominees, pass individual spending bills to avoid a giant omnibus spending package at the end of the year, and keep their policy promises to the voters. 2.5-day work weeks will no longer cut it. The Senate must use the rest of August to actually show up and keep its commitments.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Former Attorney General President Ronald Reagan |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project Chairman, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
| The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
William L. Walton Chairman CNP Action, Inc. |
| The Honorable Jim DeMint U.S. Senate Former Member, South Carolina |
Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project Former Executive Director, Senate Steering Committee |
| Rachel Bovard Former Policy Director Senate Steering Committee |
Wesley Denton Former Communications Director Senator Jim DeMint (SC) |
| Thomas E. McClusky President March for Life Action |
David Bozell President ForAmerica |
| Cleta Mitchell, Esq. Partner Foley & Lardner LLP |
The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. |
| Adam Brandon President FreedomWorks |
Thomas Fitton President Judicial Watch, Inc. |
| Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
Diana Banister President and Partner Shirley & Banister Public Affairs |
| The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
Marjorie Dannenfelser President Susan B. Anthony List |
| The Honorable Tony Perkins President, Family Research Council President, Council for National Policy |
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.) Executive Vice President Family Research Council |
| The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli President Senate Conservatives Fund |
Richard Manning President Americans for Limited Government |
| Floyd Brown Chairman Western Center for Journalism |
Matthew Tyrmand Principal Matthew Tyrmand LLC |
| Lee A. Beaman Chief Executive Officer Beaman Automotive Group |
Roxanne Phillips Member, Executive Committee Council for National Policy |
| Richard D. Hayes Attorney Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant, LLP |
Susan A. Carleson Chairman/CEO American Civil Rights Union |
| The Honorable Belden Bell Legacy Society Co-chair The Heritage Foundation |
C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
| Gary Marx Senior Advisor Judicial Crisis Network |
Randy M. Long Business Consultant Long Business Advisors, LLC |
| Felix Bronstein Attorney |
The Honorable Mike Hill Former Member Florida State Representative |
| Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
Ambassador Henry F. Cooper Former SDI Director President Reagan’s Chief Defense & Space Negotiator |
| Christopher Malagisi Editor in Chief Conservative Book Club |
Sal Russo Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Tea Party Express |
| Kay R. Daly President Coalition for a Fair Judiciary |
Steve Berger Sr. Pastor Grace Chapel |
| Quin Hillyer Veteran conservative columnist |
Peter J. Thomas Chairman The Conservative Caucus |
| Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. Founder of CorsiNation.com JRC Publishing, LLC |
Chad Connelly President Faith Wins |
| Jack Park Conservative Activist and Donor |
The Honorable Terrence Scanlon Retied Chairman and President Capital Research Center |
| Charlie Copeland President Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
| Saulius “Saul” Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only.
