Article snippet: Senate Majority Leader MORE (R-Ky.) scolded Senate Republican colleagues on Thursday for skipping a Wednesday night vote, warning them that attendance needs to improve if anything is to get done in August, according to sources. Congress usually takes the month of August off to meet with constituents around the country during what is known as a state work period. But facing pressure from MORE, McConnell canceled this year’s August recess — to the chagrin of many of his colleagues. He explained they were able to move business on the Senate floor yesterday and today only because they had locked in procedural agreements with Senate Minority Leader MORE (D-N.Y.) in advance. Ten senators, almost all Republicans, missed two votes on Thursday. That could be a big problem next week when McConnell tries to set up additional votes. Eleven senators, again mostly Republicans, missed a vote that was scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon. “He’s rightfully, I think, upset. I wasn’t at lunch but I knew what he was going to say,” said Sen. MORE (S.D.), chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Eight Republican senators, including Sen. MORE (R-Ariz.), who is at home indefinitely battling cancer, missed Thursday’s votes, effectively giving Democrats a majority in the chamber. Only two Democrats, Sens. MORE (Wash.), missed the votes. One Republican who attended Thursday’s lunch said the senators who were absent, not the ones who heard McConnell’s stern speech, need to be cha... Link to the full article to read more