We have all been there.
A deadline is fast approaching on something you want to avoid. It would be nice to magically make time stand still and dodge something uncomfortable at work or in life.
Well, Republicans in Congress have summoned that kind of power. Three times in recent weeks, House Speaker Mike Johnson has stopped the hands of time and put the calendar on hold — all to avoid uncomfortable votes for the GOP tied to President Donald Trump.
“Mike Johnson is performing chicanery and deceit,” complained U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who wants lawmakers on the record about Trump’s tariff plans.
What’s going on here?
Under special rules in the House and Senate — and enshrined into law — Congress can vote to block national emergencies declared by a president, like the one used by Trump to levy tariffs on imports.
The rules require action after 15 days. But what if the calendar never changes?
That’s what House Republicans have done three times now.
“Each day for the remainder of the first session of the 119th Congress shall not constitute a calendar day,” read one provision which blocked a vote to overturn Trump’s tariffs.
This week, House Republicans blocked Democrats from using the rules to bring up “resolutions of inquiry” — basically an effort to demand documents on items embarrassing to the Trump administration — by stopping the calendar a different way.
“Each day during the period from April 29, 2025, through September 30, 2025, shall not constitute a legislative day,” the special language read.
Just think if you had the power to stop the calendar. You could avoid paying the rent, the mortgage, your credit card or just about anything — because the due date never arrived.
As you might expect, fiddling with time in Congress is nothing new.
In the 19th century, the Senate was known to push back the clock in the chamber to keep it from officially striking midnight or noon, all to gain extra time at the end of a legislative session.
But this is different. This isn’t about giving lawmakers more time to do something. It’s an effort by House Republicans to avoid going on the record about Trump’s tariffs and policies.
GOP lawmakers were elected to make tough choices — not avoid them by playing tricks with the calendar.
Father Time is undefeated — except evidently in the halls of Congress.
“They used to say that the Congress could say that night is day,” Paul observed. “Now they can say that day is no longer day.”
Jamie Dupree has covered national politics and Congress from Washington, D.C. since the Reagan administration. His column appears weekly in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. For more, check out his Capitol Hill newsletter at http://jamiedupree.substack.com
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