GOP says House lawmakers can leave for Memorial Day despite debt ceiling talks

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) informed lawmakers on Wednesday that they can leave Washington as scheduled on Thursday for the Memorial Day weekend — but that they should be prepared to return to the Capitol to vote on legislation to raise the debt limit with 24 hours notice. 

The House is scheduled to adjourn on Thursday and is not slated to return to session until June 5 — four days after the June 1 deadline set by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for a possible default.

“Following tomorrow’s votes, if some new agreement is reached between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy, members will receive 24 hours’ notice in the event we need to return to Washington for any additional votes either over the weekend or next week,” Scalise said on the House floor. 

White House officials and GOP lawmakers have been negotiating for more than a week to reach an agreement on raising the debt limit. President Biden and McCarthy have also met at the White House to discuss the issue.

McCarthy has said that a deal must be reached by this week to allow enough time for any legislation to make its way through both chambers and land at the president’s desk by June 1.

On Tuesday, Rep. Patrick McHenry (N.C.), a GOP negotiator, said it will take between 24 and 48 hours to write the legislative text of the bill. And on Wednesday, Scalise said leadership will abide by a rule that gives lawmakers 72 hours to review text of legislation before voting on it.

The Senate is out of session this week but is scheduled to reconvene on May 30.