Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) has called on fellow Republicans to cancel their Thanksgiving recess and work continuously if the party loses its majorities in the November midterm elections. The Ohio senator told reporters outside the Capitol on Thursday that if the GOP fails to retain control of both chambers, lawmakers should remain in Washington from November 9 until December 31 without a break.
Moreno, who stated it is "more likely" the party holds the Senate, argued that a loss would necessitate a final legislative push. "It'll be the 'Last Supper,'" he said. "So it'll be a giant reconciliation bill where we take all the Republican priorities that we can get done." He added that if the party loses both the House and the Senate, "we should be here... with no break at all," and joked that they would have turkeys for Thanksgiving.
The call for a maximalist approach comes amid uncertainty over the party's ability to pass legislation. Republicans were unable to muster enough votes for a major bill this summer, and leadership reportedly lacks confidence in their current position. However, Moreno maintained that the party would pass a reconciliation bill "one way or the other." Reconciliation is a procedural mechanism that allows certain budget-related bills to pass with a simple majority vote in the Senate, bypassing the filibuster.
Conversations regarding the contents of a potential lame-duck reconciliation package are already underway in congressional offices. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chair of the Budget Committee, told Axios that he is working with the House and the White House to determine what items to include so they can be "sold to the public and our Republican colleagues" upon their return.
The list of pending items for the lame-duck session is extensive and includes funding the government past December 11, passing emergency defense spending, and raising the debt ceiling. Additional priorities listed by the source include enacting defense authorization legislation, extending warrantless surveillance powers under FISA Section 702, approving agricultural policy, streamlining permitting processes, and confirming nominees.
Several administration priorities are expected to rely on this procedural path, including Trump's Golden Dome missile defense system, autonomous weapon advancement efforts, and F-35 fighter jet upgrades. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told attendees at an Army conference on Wednesday that the Pentagon needs "a minimum" of $350 billion to "rebuild the military."
The political stakes are high for specific senators. For frequent holdouts such as Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who are retiring or leaving office, election outcomes will not significantly alter their status. Similarly, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), known for breaking from party lines on appropriations, face little change in their influence regardless of the election result.
If Republicans lose their Senate majority, Moreno is positioned to lead efforts to regain it. He is currently running for National Republican Senatorial Committee chair and is unopposed at this time.