Senate Worked More Than The House?

Congress has left Washington ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, but a new review of the legislative calendar shows a sizable difference in how much time the Senate and House have spent in session this year.

According to an analysis reported by Axios, the Senate had logged 104 weekdays in session as of Friday, compared with just 72 weekdays for the House. That amounts to a 32-day gap between the two chambers.

The difference is also noticeable when looking at total floor time.

Axios, citing the Congressional Record, reported that the Senate had spent nearly 664 hours in session through September 14. The House, by comparison, had accumulated roughly 378 hours during the same period.

Senate On Track for More Days in Washington

If the current congressional calendars remain unchanged, the Senate is expected to finish 2026 with approximately 126 weekdays in session, while the House is projected to finish with around 92.

Some of the House’s missed workdays were not originally planned.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., canceled votes during part of September, including the chamber’s final scheduled voting day before lawmakers departed Washington for the campaign season.

Johnson defended the decision, telling reporters that the House had already completed its work and saying lawmakers could be called back with 48 hours’ notice if the Senate advanced legislation requiring House action.

The Senate remained in Washington longer, finally adjourning this week. Senators are expected to conduct only brief pro forma sessions, during which no major legislative business is typically conducted, until they return November 9.

Some Republicans Question House Schedule

Not all criticism of the House calendar has come from Democrats.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., publicly complained about canceled voting days, arguing that lawmakers should be spending more time conducting the business they were elected to handle.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has also questioned why the Republican-controlled House has been removing workdays from its calendar, particularly with major legislative disputes still unresolved.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who previously served in the House, joked to Axios that he may have left the lower chamber “two years too soon.”

The comments reflect a broader question many taxpayers may have: how should congressional productivity be measured?

Simply counting days in Washington does not tell the entire story.

House Passed More Measures Despite Shorter Schedule

Although the House spent fewer days in session, it passed more measures during the first eight months of the year.

From January 3 through the end of August, the House passed 380 measures, compared with 269 in the Senate, according to the Axios analysis.

The Senate, however, held more recorded votes during that period, with 231 votes compared with 216 in the House.

There is also an important structural difference between the two chambers.

The Senate must devote substantial floor time to confirming federal judges, Cabinet officials and other presidential nominees. The House does not participate in the confirmation process.

That means raw comparisons of legislative hours do not necessarily provide a complete picture of productivity.

Democrats Push for Action on Artificial Intelligence

House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, urged Johnson to keep representatives in Washington longer so Congress could address concerns surrounding artificial intelligence.

Jeffries argued that lawmakers should not leave town without taking action on potential AI risks.

Johnson pushed back, warning that Congress should not rush into sweeping regulation before lawmakers fully understand the technology and its economic and national-security implications.

He has also argued that overly aggressive regulation could weaken America’s position in the global technology race, particularly against China.

The AI debate is expected to remain on Congress’ agenda when lawmakers return.

Major Spending Fight Still Ahead

Congress will face a crowded schedule after the election.

Lawmakers are expected to return for roughly five weeks of legislative work with several major issues still unresolved, including the annual appropriations process.

A temporary government funding measure passed in September keeps federal agencies funded through December 11, avoiding a shutdown immediately before the midterm elections.

But Congress has not completed all 12 annual spending bills, meaning lawmakers could face another year-end budget showdown.

Other unfinished business could also include defense policy, artificial intelligence legislation and additional spending negotiations.

Voters May Focus on Results, Not Just Attendance

The difference between the Senate and House schedules is likely to fuel debate over how much time members of Congress should spend in Washington.

For taxpayers, however, the more important question may be what lawmakers accomplish while they are there.

The House can point to a larger number of measures passed, while the Senate has logged more workdays, more floor hours and more recorded votes. The Senate also carries the added responsibility of confirming presidential nominees.

With lawmakers now returning to their states ahead of a closely watched midterm election, voters will have an opportunity to decide how they view Congress’ record — including its spending decisions, legislative priorities and use of time in Washington.