A warm breeze has been blowing across Capitol Hill for the past two weeks.
Not the “summer breeze” that Seales and Crofts sing about, but the political summer breeze that forced lawmakers to “run like the wind.”
Lawmakers on both sides declared, in the words of Gino Vannelli, “I just want to stop” — and vacated Washington for the summer.
It would be wise to accept this small respite in governance. Autumn and winter will be a challenge for the Congress.
So here’s the “lowdown.” Much of what happens on Capitol Hill can be described in terms of “yacht rock.”
Lawmakers will be counting down the days, minute by minute, until they have to return to Capitol Hill in the fall, when election season will be in full swing. (Beata Zorzel/NoorPhoto via Getty Images)
Both houses of Congress usually adjourn for a period of four to six weeks between late July and early September. But this year’s congressional summer has been a political storm. Over the past few months, lawmakers have spent hardly any time in session. Both the House and the Senate have fought against each other. week in mid july So that Republicans could hold their convention in Milwaukee. This was after a brief week in Washington just after July 4. Congress was in session from late June until the fourth day. The House left town early last month, cutting a week off its schedule. In fact, the House has only assembled for a few weeks since May 24.
Yacht rock impresario Rupert Holmes would describe it as an “escape”.
Do you really need another reason to make a piña colada?
Is Congress expected to accomplish much the rest of the year? Well, that boat has sailed. We’re deep into a brutal campaign phase for control of the presidency, the House and the Senate. All lawmakers need to do the rest of the year is figure out a way to avoid a government shutdown at the end of September. Is Congress capable of doing much else? Well, doubtful. But in the words of the Doobie Brothers, “What a Fool Believes.”
A cryptocurrency bill? Maybe in the lame duck session, but doubtful. A tax bill – including a credit for parents? Same. How about legislation introduced by GOP vice presidential candidate and Senator J.D. VanceWhat did Rep. Sherrod Brown, R-Ohio, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, do to strengthen rail safety after the Norfolk Southern crash in East Palestine, Ohio, early last year? Few agree. Democrats don’t want to give Vance a legislative victory just before the election. And Republicans are not willing to help Brown. He faces one of the most competitive Senate contests in the country against GOP challenger Bernie Moreno.
Like the Doobie Brothers and James Taylor, Senator JD Vance can be seen “taking the streets” while delivering a speech during a campaign rally in Philadelphia on August 6, 2024. (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
farm Bill?
Hey. Wrong genre. This is about yacht rock. Talk to John Cougar Mellencamp or Neil Young about this.
Over the next few weeks, lawmakers won’t necessarily be putting on their captain hats and relaxing on the foredeck, soaking up the sun and enjoying a mai tai. Democrats have their GPS set for Chicago and their convention in two weeks. Democrats are campaigning vigorously to retain control of the Senate and have a good chance of flipping the House. Democrats are especially excited about their chances now that President Biden has effectively handed the Democratic nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris. Why did it take so long for Biden to concede to Harris or anyone else? The Eagles will yell, “I can’t tell you why.” But since it’s “just the two of us,” Democrats were concerned about losing seats down the ballot.
Pablo Cruz sings, “You’re gonna lose” if the Democrats stick with the current president.
Republicans claim that 14 million voters cast ballots for Biden in the Democratic primary earlier this year. They might also claim that Radio was right when he wrote, “You can’t change that.” Biden was “still the one” for several weeks after the debate debacle in Atlanta in late June. But once Biden stepped aside, Democrats quickly courted voters who had abandoned them. Player’s “Baby Come Back” might as well have been the Democrats’ theme song as they tried to woo back those who were considering calling things quits this fall.
But some politicians would welcome a quick reprieve from Capitol Hill. Most incumbent members of the House and Senate lack competitive races this fall. They may not find themselves in “Margaritaville.” But who could blame them if they left Washington’s 100-degree heat for a Caribbean destination?
Former President Trump certainly has a contingent of ultra-loyalists who are happy to campaign for him — or at least want to be seen advocating for him. They want to secure potential Cabinet positions. Or at least avoid the former president’s wrath, so they try to get in his good graces. And many Democrats are super excited now that Biden won’t be on the ballot. They’ll likely do everything they can for Harris. So these lawmakers will have to stay busy in August and early September.
But other lawmakers will stay ashore. In fact, they may, in the words of Robbie Dupree, “steal away” in secret. Perhaps you’ll find some of these politicians drinking Chardonnay or a Dry Martini on a yacht across the water at sunset somewhere. You’ll be lucky to catch them. Of course, you can always leave a message on their “answering machine.”
Not that anyone uses answering machines anymore.
Both Republicans and Democrats will wish they had some of Olivia Newton-John’s “magic” as campaigns heat up and Donald Trump and Kamala Harris face off for the presidency. (Getty Images)
Yacht rock may not reflect all the goings-on in politics. The need to keep an eye on the political climate this month is understandable, especially after the drama surrounding Biden and Trump’s assassination attempt.
Yacht rock is for summerBut when it comes to elections and governance, it’s classic rock season.
“The Joker said to the thief, there’s got to be a way out of here,” both Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix declared in “All Along the Watchtower.”
But Congress will be back on schedule in early September. Millions of people will cast their ballots. And no one has addressed this issue more poignantly than The Who.
Click here to get the Fox News app
“Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. We won’t get fooled again,” he sang.
It might be enough to get you to emit Roger Daltrey’s distinctive screams.
This is why the “yacht rock” era of politics is more enjoyable.
