The U.S. House and Senate started a five week vacation on August 3, 2012. Most of the Congress will be campaigning for November elections. The current Congress will be known as the most unproductive in the modern history.
After the 2008 Presidential elections, Democrats were in the control of the Congress. Major legislation passed by the congress includes the 2700-page healthcare law commonly known as “Obama Care”. Since the passage of the controversial law, Republicans were trying hard to either repeal or amend the law without any success.
During the last Congressional elections in 2010, the Republicans took over the House and the Democrats barely managed to hold onto the Senate. The new Congress is at a deadlock. Before the recess, Congress passed a transportation bill and legislation to maintain the low interest student loans. It appears that both parties are holding onto their ideological bases without compromising for the good of the country.
Both parties will campaign to win back the Congress. When the lame-duck Congress reconvenes later this year, expiring tax cuts and mandatory budget reductions will be before them to act. Whether both parties will compromise and work on major issues after returning to Washington is hard to predict.