Back to school on Capitol Hill.

It’s back to school time on Capitol Hill.

But not really until next week.

What?

Despite the millions of students returning to school in early September, Congress has not yet begun its fall session.

On Monday, September 9, the House and Senate will resume legislative action after being away for more than a month. The Senate last voted on August 1, while the House was supposed to be in session until then. However, the House unexpectedly ended its session a week earlier, leaving Washington early.

But things around the Capitol are starting to return to normal.

This week, some members of the Congressional press corps and I returned to the Capitol.

For decades, my mother taught second grade in Ohio and would return to school for a few days in late August for meetings and to prepare her room for the new school year.

This week, some Congressional aides, administrative staff, and reporters returned to the Capitol to prepare their spaces for the upcoming school year.

The analogy of Congress returning to session like students filing back into the classroom is not entirely accurate. This is not the beginning of a new Congress. There are no new teachers, new lockers, or new students from other schools. The promise and energy associated with a new year do not permeate the air. Everything on Capitol Hill is essentially the same as it was in September and July. The "true" start of the "school year" occurs at noon on January 3, 2025, when the 119th Congress is sworn in. At that time, new people appear, including new chairmen and chairwomen of committees, some lawmakers get new offices, and the Capitol usually throbs with optimism.

Students and Members of Congress share a common desire to escape school during this time of year. This yearning is consistent among students and lawmakers alike, who all long for a break from their responsibilities. Everyone wants to be free from their duties and enjoy some time off.

Some lawmakers prefer to use the term "district work period" instead of "recess" to describe Congressional breaks.

Can you envision students referring to anything after 7th period as "the homework period?" The "Algebra II Augmentation?" How about the "Earth Science Addendum?"

What would college students call spring break in Panama City?

But back to Congress.

Even though lawmakers haven't been in session all summer, they are eager to end the election year.

Congress had a light legislative schedule throughout the year, with the assassination attempt on former President Trump and the internal power struggle among Democrats taking up most of the attention during the summer. The last significant legislation Congress tackled was in April. Congress finally passed legislation to fund the government, which was due in October. Additionally, Congress approved assistance to Israel and Ukraine. Apart from that, Congress had little else to do except to get through the conventions. Now, with the election season upon us, both the House and Senate are evenly divided. The same is true of the Presidential election. As a result, there is not much to do on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers who are retiring or have lost their primaries are more than happy to leave Washington early.

In Congress, the fall is often reminiscent of what students encounter in the spring, with teachers struggling to keep everyone focused and everyone looking forward to summer break.

The House has scheduled four days of meetings from September 15 to 18, followed by five days from August 22 to 26. There are no further meetings until Tuesday, November 12. However, there is speculation that the House may reconvene for one additional week in September if Congress funds the government and there is no possibility of a shutdown on October 1, which marks the start of the new fiscal year.

Congress must complete its work before recess, but sometimes they don't meet the deadline and need a remedial course. "Summer school" is what they call it, but Congress sees it as "fall and winter school" or "spring school." It took Congress until April to fully fund the government last time, burning through three seasons alone. The principal would have had a tough time dealing with delinquent students like Congress finishing their work.

Like students, Congress has similar motivations to get home, such as taking a break, going to the beach, or campaigning.

The House Republicans are facing challenges with fundraising, while the Democrats are gaining momentum after Vice President Harris's election. Both parties understand that the outcome of the House will depend on a few key seats. Moreover, whoever wins the presidency in 2022 is likely to have a significant impact on the party that controls the House in 2025.

So both sides have equal motivation.

Although it's a more challenging task for the Democrats to maintain their slim 51-49 majority in the Senate, they must hold onto swing seats in red states such as Ohio and Montana, in addition to battleground states like Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Although Congress may not be in session until the end of the term, a significant test awaits them, as the voters will provide a valuable lesson on election day.