Senate Republicans are weighing whether to heed President Trump's call to cancel some or all of the August recess to approve key nominees or to use the full month to go home and sell the party's tax and spending law to voters, which top Republicans view as crucial to their midterm election hopes.

Having passed the party’s “big, beautiful bill” and a package to claw back funding for public media and foreign aid, the Senate’s plan was to motor ahead on scores of Trump nominations in the next two weeks, then leave for the extended break.

But Trump over the weekend urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to keep everyone in town.

While some in the GOP would welcome lopping off a portion of the recess, Republicans view a monthlong messaging push on the “big, beautiful bill” as imperative for electoral success, especially with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s chair, admitting recently that the bill is not polling well enough for his liking.

“That’s also an important part. We’ve got to go back and be able to talk to our constituents and explain to them what we just did in a way that will help in the midterm elections, which I know the president and we all care about,” said Sen. John........

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