Fake or Fact: Has Congress Actually Adjourned for the Summer?

WASHINGTON - After the botched rollout of the Senate's plan to come up with a concrete solution to repeal and replace Obamacare, many of those congressional members went home to face the voters.

But has Congress actually adjourned for August recess?

The History of the Recess

In the early days, things got pretty heated – literally.

According to Senate.gov, the chamber didn't have air conditioning so members of the Senate decided to convene in December and adjourn in the spring.

But with modern technology came air conditioning and senators found themselves working year-round. 

They wanted some sort of break from what was becoming a full time job. 

The 1970 Legislative Reorganization Act gave Congress an official summer break. 

But Did They Actually Adjourn?

Members of the Senate don't always officially adjourn. Instead, they convene what are called "pro-forma sessions."

Every three days, a member will come to the chamber, gavel in, conduct little to no business and gavel out -- even though most of the senators are nowhere to be found. 

So why not officially adjourn?

If the Senate were to adjourn, the president could make cabinet recess appointments without their approval. Consequently, checks and balances go out the window.

To seal the deal, the Supreme Court ruled against the Obama administration in the 2014 case of  National Labor Relations Board vs. Noel Canning.

According to the high court, as long as members of the Senate conducted business every three days, they technically are not adjourned and the president cannot appoint recess cabinet members.

So while finding a member of Congress on Capitol Hill would be an uphill battle, the chamber never officially adjourned.