# Plain Language Summary: The "Do Our Job Act"

This bill is designed to force Congress to finish its most basic job—approving the government's annual budget—before taking extended breaks. Right now, members of Congress can take long vacations or recesses during the summer and fall without having passed the appropriations bills that fund federal agencies and programs. This bill changes that by making it against the rules for the House of Representatives to take any break longer than three days (or to hold only ceremonial sessions for more than a week) between July 1st and December 31st unless they've already approved all the regular appropriation bills for the upcoming year.

The practical effect is straightforward: Congress would lose the ability to take its traditional summer recess or other extended time off until it completes the appropriations process. If members try to pass a resolution allowing for a long break before the budget is done, other members can challenge it, and the House would have to vote on whether to allow the break anyway. This creates a procedural obstacle that makes it harder to leave town without finishing the funding bills first. The bill also prevents the House from using special procedural tricks to bypass this requirement.

For everyday Americans, this could mean more consistent government operations and fewer last-minute budget crises or government shutdowns that happen when Congress fails to pass appropriations on time. However, it also means Congress members would have less flexibility in their schedules and would be required to stay in Washington longer during the summer and fall months to complete their budget responsibilities.