Here Are All The Times Congress Gave Themselves a Vacation in Past Year

The 119th Congress has taken roughly 16 breaks from Capitol Hill thus far despite a record-long shutdown and a war with Iran.

The House and Senate followed through with their recesses during historically rocky times, including when the longest government shutdown in history took place in the Fall of 2025, lasting 43 days. During that time, Speaker Mike Johnson extended district work periods and the House did not return for regular votes, while the Senate took short breaks that prolonged the shutdown.

Throughout the shutdown, the Senate reconvened for votes during the first week of October and continued meeting into November to negotiate on continuing resolutions. The House remained predominantly out of session, prompting Democratic Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz to introduce a resolution on Oct. 10, 2025, calling on the chamber to reconvene and hold recorded quorum calls during a shutdown.

The 117th and 118th Congresses had between 30 and