Senator Rick Scott is pushing the Senate to work straight through Christmas to finish confirmations and key business that the calendar left on pause.
Story Highlights
- The Senate’s official schedule set December 18 as the target adjournment, with Christmas week off.
- Scott’s push leverages open days the Senate had marked as non-legislative time over the holidays.
- Active executive nominations in November gave the Senate real work it could take up if it stayed in session.
- Floor and calendar tools allow leaders to extend workdays and rearrange business when needed.
Official Calendar Shows Open Holiday Windows
Senate records show the chamber planned state work periods for Thanksgiving and December 21 through December 31. The tentative schedule also set December 18 as the target adjournment. Those dates mark real windows that leaders could convert into session time if they choose. The calendar’s labels and dates come from official Senate postings and documents, which outline when votes were expected and when lawmakers planned to be away from Washington.
The schedule listed November 23 to November 27 for the Thanksgiving work period. It also showed that the Senate planned to be out from December 21 through the end of the year. By pointing to those blocks, Scott highlighted days that could host votes, debates, or confirmations. While the schedule is described as tentative, it sets expectations that any decision to keep working would clearly depart from the plan on the books.
Active Nominations Keep the Senate’s To-Do List Alive
The Senate’s executive calendar in early November included active nominations. That means the Senate had confirmation work ready for floor time, even before any holiday extensions. These entries included nominations that had moved through committees and awaited action. Having that work queued up supported the case for staying in Washington to confirm more judges and officials before year’s end, instead of letting the clock run out on pending names.
Post-election sessions often finish confirmations and must-pass items. Congressional Research Service reports show that most modern lame-duck sessions include at least some judicial confirmations. Since 1946, the Senate has confirmed many circuit and district judges during these windows. That history shows why leaders reach for extra days after an election. It is not new. It is a known tool to finish business before the slate resets in January.
Procedural Tools Are in Place to Extend Work
The Senate can adjust its schedule with floor action and unanimous-consent agreements. The official floor schedule recorded ongoing meetings in November, including a planned November 9 session, showing the chamber was active and could modify proceedings. Government Publishing Office calendars also captured unanimous-consent agreements that set future business. Those mechanisms let leaders add days, structure votes, and keep nominations moving when time is tight.
A gavel in and out is not a workday. Senate Daily Press recorded no business at the Nov. 5 pro forma session, and the chamber returns Monday at 3 p.m. Rick Scott wants senators working every day until January. Should Thune replace those short sessions with real floor days? pic.twitter.com/nTOkkiFElZ
— congressX (@Congress_X) November 8, 2026
Scott’s push to work through Christmas would rely on these same tools. Leaders could file cloture, line up debate time, and run through a slate of confirmations and bills. The plan would also break from the target adjournment set for December 18, which underscores its urgency. The Senate’s own documents make clear this would be a change, but a possible one, if members agree to give up the holiday recess to clear pending business.
What Is Known—and What Is Not Yet Set
The public documents confirm the holiday schedule, the target adjournment, the November activity, and the presence of nominations. They do not list which specific nominees or measures Scott wanted to prioritize, or whether all senators agreed to stay. The Senate labels its calendar as tentative, so leaders can still adjust. The practical question is not whether a holiday session can happen, but how much the Senate can move if members choose to press ahead.
For readers who want government that works, the ask is simple: show up and finish the job. Working through Christmas would trade recess days for results, including confirmations and steps that support law and order, secure borders, and stable energy policy. The Senate has the calendar windows, the nominations in hand, and the tools to act. If members decide to use them, the year can end with progress instead of paused business.
Sources:
redstate.com, senate.gov, govinfo.gov, leg.mn.gov
