Out of sight, out of mind? Not this August

Valerie Yurk and Nina Heller, CQ-Roll Call on Jul 28, 2026

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WASHINGTON — Few things are certain in Congress anymore. One thing lawmakers can still count on? August recess.

But the five-week-long break for the House isn’t all fun and games — especially ahead of the tight midterm elections battle for the majority.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is packing his bags for a campaign blitz with incumbents and challengers across 17 states, not including his home state, and 30 districts and cities, per a leadership aide.

And Democrats are launching their own “100 days of action,” Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said, starting with events over the weekend to mark 100 days until election day.

Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who is facing a true toss-up race for Wisconsin’s 3rd District, said he’s hitting the road.

“I’m going to be with my constituents as much as possible, riding my motorcycle from point to point,” he said Thursday. “It can take, like, five hours to go from one point of my district to another, and we do six or seven events a day. That’s every day.”

“But you know what? That’s part of the job, and it’s great because that’s the only time we really get to see people,” he said, adding that “sitting around having cheese curds and beer” beats meeting over Zoom.

Aside from campaigning, lawmakers have district work, like meeting with constituents and fielding their requests, waiting for them at home.

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., said he was immediately going to Weston, W.Va., a community affected by fatal flash floods in the state last week. He described pushing for a disaster declaration, which unlocks certain federal support.

“There’s some people that are still missing. … We had a river rise up to almost 30 feet,” Moore said. “We’re always kind of forgotten, it’s really a tragedy.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who’s in the running for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat, said he’s preparing for a debate during the first week in August.

“Back home, it’s still constituents, but the campaign ball is just different,” he said.

But there’s still time for a reprieve.

“I’m looking forward to a month in the better Washington,” said Rep. Emily Randall, D-Wash.

Randall said she’ll spend some time “on the water, on the Sound.” She added she’s attending community events to talk to people about “the ongoing war that’s driving up the cost of living and inability for this administration to invest in health care for people.” Primary elections in Washington state are also in August.

“I think what I’ll hear over and over and over is the same thing I’ve been hearing for the last 18 months — that people want us to be fighting for them and not for this administration and their supporters to get richer and richer,” Randall said.

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said he’ll be out “getting reelected — knocking on doors, working the polls, putting up some yard signs.” But he’s also looking forward to checking some items off of his to-do list and spending time with his family.

“My donkeys just tear up my fences all the time, so I’ve got a little sawmill, I’m gonna cut some wood,” he said. “I do more work when I’m home than I am here, honestly.”