Congress may be on recess. But the waitress covering a double shift, the nurse working overnight, the warehouse worker racing a delivery clock, and the rideshare driver chasing fares didn’t get the memo. America is still working.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries recently urged Speaker Mike Johnson to reconvene the House, arguing that lawmakers should be back in Washington doing the work they were elected to do. Whether Speaker Johnson agrees or not, the moment raises a broader question: who gets to take a break in America?
Members of Congress earn $174,000 a year—nearly three times the pay of the typical American worker—with health insurance, generous benefits, and some of the most secure jobs in the country. Their paychecks continue whether Congress is in session or not. Most Americans live in a very different world.
The United States is the only wealthy nation with no federal guarantee of paid vacation. Workers in many European countries are guaranteed four or five weeks of paid leave each year. In America, vacation is something you negotiate with your employer—if you’re lucky enough to have an employer who offers it.
The irony is that Americans are working more even as our economy becomes more productive. Economist Juliet Schor found that by the late twentieth century the average American was working about 163 more hours per year than in 1969—roughly the equivalent of an extra month of work each year. Technology was supposed to give us more leisure. Instead, many Americans are working longer hours while Congress takes recess.
Even when workers receive paid leave, it is modest. After a year on the job, many workers get about ten vacation days. After twenty years, they might reach twenty days. But many workers never get that far. The median American worker stays with an employer for roughly four years—often not long enough to accumulate meaningful benefits. Millions of workers—especially those in retail, hospitality, health care, and gig work—receive no paid vacation at all.
When Congress gavels out of session, lawmakers return to districts where their salaries, benefits, and job security remain intact. Many of their constituents are juggling unpredictable schedules, holding multiple jobs, and worrying about groceries, rent, and childcare.
Congressional recess is supposed to serve a purpose. Lawmakers return to their districts to hear from constituents and understand the challenges people face. Earlier generations of lawmakers often remained in Washington for long stretches while legislation moved through Congress. Today’s calendar reflects a different political reality —one in which travel, fundraising, and media appearances compete with the actual work of governing. But recess also highlights a deeper inequality: the people making decisions about work and economic policy often enjoy levels of job security and rest that many Americans will never experience.
The nature of work in the United States has changed dramatically over the past several decades. Stable careers have given way to gig work, contract labor, and irregular schedules. Benefits that once came with employment—pensions, health insurance, paid leave—have become less certain.
These questions matter even more as the nature of work continues to change. Gig work, contract labor, and unstable schedules are reshaping the American labor market. Yet basic protections that workers in many other wealthy countries take for granted—paid vacation, predictable hours, and time to rest—remain elusive for millions of Americans.
Yet our political system still operates as if the old world of stable jobs and predictable careers still exists.
Jeffries’ call to reconvene Congress is ultimately about more than a legislative calendar. It raises a simple question: why should the people making decisions about American work be the ones most insulated from its pressures?
Congress may call it a recess. But the country doesn’t stop working just because Congress takes a break. America isn’t on vacation. Maybe Congress shouldn’t be either.
