ABC News’ Sunlen Miller:
Ten Senate Republicans today called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to cancel next week’s planned July 4th holiday recess and stay working on the debt ceiling negotiations.
“Our country is going bankrupt, we should not be going on a holiday,” Senator Ron Johnson, R-WI., said at a hastily called press conference this afternoon, “we need to come back in session of the United States Senate and actually start addressing the problem. And until we do and I think I have a little support on this, my intention will be to continue to object and continue to withhold my consent for doing business as usual in Washington.”
The Republicans made their call as the Senate Democratic caucus huddles this afternoon in a specially called meeting to decide whether to work through their July 4th recess next week, as suggested by President Obama today.
“Let’s stay here next week, let’s not have a recess—let’s not even have a pro forma session,” Senator David Vitter, R-LA., said, “let’s not be here just to be here. Let’s be on the floor debating in a constructive way the biggest challenge our country faces which is spending and debt.”
Many of the Senators who stood up today in support of working though the recess were freshmen senators and as new members spoke from an unique vantage point saying they were shocked that this is actually the way Washington works.
“I am just shocked by the lack of urgency that there is around here, about these things that we’re facing about this debt issue we’re facing I hope that we deal with it quickly,” Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fl., said, “I hope we start working on it yesterday. Because we don’t have the luxury of time.”
Another senator quipped that President Obama has been successful in playing 76 rounds of golf, yet has secured zero votes on his budget proposal as the debt crisis mounted.
“We’re ready to roll up our sleeves,” Senator Kelly Ayotte, R-NH., said, “We’re going to be ready to work next week.”
The jury is still out as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid meets with his caucus, ongoing right now behind-closed-doors, and figures out whether Senators will have to punch in to work in Washington next week.