Reid: Senate will work weekends in September

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Thursday warned senators that they will be working through the weekends when they return from the five-week August recess.

“Following the August recess, we’re going to be here for two weeks and two days,” Reid said. “That’s not a lot of time for the workload we have to do.

“There will be no weekends off,” he said.

{mosads}Reid said his goal is to allow senators to return home on Sept. 23 so they can campaign for reelection.

The Democratic leader said the Senate would take up appropriations bills, reauthorization of the Internet Tax Freedom Act and the Export-Import Bank, the National Defense Authorization Act and a constitutional amendment regarding campaign financing.

If there is time, Reid said he would also like to revisit legislation on the minimum wage, student loans and women’s access to contraceptives.

Reid commonly threatens weekend work, but the Senate has been in the habit of leaving for the weekend on Thursday afternoons.