GOP senator renews his threat to block Memorial Day recess

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said he has prepared a letter along with several of his colleagues addressed to Senate leadership that threatens to block adjournment for the Memorial Day holiday unless the Senate takes significant action toward passing a budget.

 "I'm not going to vote to go home without having met our duty," Sessions said defiantly on the floor on Thursday.

"It [the letter] says 'we don't need to go home until we've confronted this problem and you've shown us how we're going to move forward to meet our statutory responsibility to pass a budget,'" Sessions said. "I think that's reasonable. That's what we're going to be asking today." 

Sessions then compared the Senate's duty to pass a budget to an American troop's duty to execute his mission whether he feels like it or not. 

Sessions made a similar threat on Monday, noting that he would object to a motion to adjourn for the Memorial Day recess.

Sessions’ objection cannot actually prevent the Senate from adjourning because according to Senate rules a motion to adjourn cannot be filibustered.

The effect of Sessions’s threat, if he goes through with it, would be to force a majority of senators to vote for a recess.

One GOP aide said it would be embarrassing for Democrats to vote to take a vacation when they have not produced a budget. 

The Senate voted down four budget proposals on Wednesday afternoon but none of the plans had a realistic chance of becoming law.

The Senate is currently scheduled to begin a 10-day recess either Thursday night or Friday.

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