Sen. Blunt suggests Senate should cancel next week’s recess

In remarks on the floor Tuesday, Blunt marked the upcoming one-year anniversary of the healthcare reform law and suggested senators’ time would be better spent forging healthcare solutions.

“The anniversary of this signing next week would be better spent if we were all here next week trying to come up with things that make healthcare sense, that make economic sense, that meet the constitutional standard in still keeping people in charge of these important life-sustaining health-sustaining decisions,” said Blunt.

Several Republican lawmakers were elected last year thanks to voters’ unhappiness with the healthcare law. House Republicans have proposed defunding it, but that is being blocked by Senate Democrats.

Under the Senate’s tentative schedule, laid out by the Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), a 9-day break is scheduled to begin on Friday. The House is also scheduled to be in recess next week.