VIDEOS: Should Congress return to Washington?

Calls for Congress to cut the August recess short have come from both sides of the aisle since Standard & Poor's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating sparked an economic rollercoaster. 

Some in the Tea Party have argued lawmakers should return to Washington to address the country's economic woes. Others claim that if Congress comes back without a plan and a strong message it will only cause more frustration and confusion. 

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) said President Obama should call Congress back from its recess to steady rattled markets. 

Tea Party Patriot co-founder Jenny Beth Martin agreed with Bachmann. She told U.S. News and World Report that House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) should call Congress back into session, and said there is nothing stopping Congress from addressing the country's economic problems "right now." 

Former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-N.Y.) disagreed, telling Fox News, "it's not going to accomplish anything." 

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) responded to demands to return, saying the August recess allows members of Congress to connect face-to-face with constituents. 

Even late-night comedians took a stab at the August recess — check out the pros and cons of lawmakers' time away from Washington in "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

Click through to watch what politicians have to say about the August recess. 

Rubio | Corzine | Rangel

Villaraigosa | Sperling | Fallon