Congressional recess ends with stalled bills and tough midterm messaging for vulnerable members

Following the August summer recess, the Senate returned for a three-week push to deliver legislative victories that could be touted to voters in tight races. Lawmakers advanced a bipartisan cryptocurrency bill, the CLARITY Act, but it collapsed after Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis’s version failed to meet Democratic ethics standards. Subsequent attempts to curb data-center expenses and to bar lawmakers from stock trading also fell short, with Democrats arguing the proposals were too weak.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the effort as “ineffectual participation trophies.” The Protect College Sports Act was the sole measure to pass, yet its impact is still pending. In the final days before the October recess, a bipartisan group unveiled a preliminary permitting reform bill, signaling a possible avenue for addressing affordability, though its progress hinges on the post-election balance of power.