House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) turned up the heat on the Senate this weekend, demanding that the upper chamber start moving on legislation that has already cleared the House. In an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Emmer made clear that frustration is mounting among House Republicans who feel their work is being ignored.
“The Senate’s got to start to perform,” Emmer said, summarizing a growing sentiment in the House GOP conference.
Speaking with host Cheryl Casone, Emmer laid out the immediate priorities facing Congress as lawmakers return for a brief stretch before leaving again on October 1. With just 16 legislative days in the window, the whip acknowledged that avoiding a pre-election government shutdown is the top focus. But he made it clear that a short-term funding bill—what he referred to as a continuing resolution that would extend funding through December 11—is only part of the picture.
“You hit the number one thing, the short-term funding bill that was sent over by the Senate,” Emmer said. “That will be a priority over in the House, because we get things done, Cheryl. That’s the whole issue.”
The Minnesota Republican then rattled off a list of bills that have passed the House but are now sitting idle in the Senate. At the top of that list is the CLARITY Act, a digital assets market structure bill that Emmer said passed the House a year ago with nearly 100 Democratic votes.
“It languishes over in the Senate,” he said.
Emmer also pointed to the SAVE America Act, which he said the House has sent over “several times,” only for it to stall in the upper chamber. He added that reconciliation 3.0 is also “just sitting there in the Senate.”
“It really is going to be—on the Senate’s shoulders to start getting something done when we get back,” Emmer said.
The whip’s comments reflect a broader frustration among House Republicans who feel they are carrying the legislative load while the Senate hesitates. Emmer’s use of the word “perform” cuts directly at the Senate’s pace, and he didn’t mince words about what he expects when Congress reconvenes.
House Priorities Beyond Funding
While the CR is the urgent item, Emmer noted that the House has its own agenda to tackle, including appropriations bills and a surface transportation bill that needs attention by the 30th. He said those items would ultimately be covered by the continuing resolution, but he stressed that the House has been doing its job.
“Many of our members have different priorities. Those will be addressed,” he said.
Emmer’s remarks come as the chamber faces a compressed schedule and a looming deadline. With only 16 legislative days before the October 1 break, there is little room for delay. The whip’s message to the Senate was clear: the ball is in their court.
“We have been getting our stuff over to the Senate,” Emmer said. “The Senate’s got to start to perform.”
The CLARITY Act, which aims to provide regulatory clarity for digital assets, has been a priority for House Republicans and some Democrats alike. Its broad support in the House—nearly 100 Democrats voted for it—suggests that the bill has bipartisan appeal, yet it remains stalled in the Senate.
The SAVE America Act, another House priority, has been sent over multiple times, according to Emmer, but has not advanced. Reconciliation 3.0, a broader package of spending and tax measures, is also caught in legislative limbo.
Emmer’s frustration is shared by many in the House GOP conference, who see the Senate as a bottleneck. The whip’s public call for action is likely aimed at pressuring Senate leaders to pick up the pace as the election season heats up.
For now, the immediate focus is on avoiding a shutdown. But Emmer’s broader point is that the Senate needs to move beyond just keeping the government funded and actually start acting on the legislation that has already cleared the House.
“We have sent our priorities over to the Senate,” Emmer said. “We have been working. The House has been working. The Senate’s got to start to perform.”
As the clock ticks down, the pressure is mounting on both chambers to deliver. But for Emmer, the message is simple: the House has done its part—now it’s the Senate’s turn.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/30/house-majority-whip-emmer-the-senates-got-to-start-to-perform/