During the dog days of summer, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer aims to finally complete work on languishing microchip and veterans benefits legislation, admit two new countries to NATO and pass a party-line health care bill. All that he hopes to make happen in two weeks’ time, as senators regularly contract Covid and the most senior Democrat, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, recovers from a hip injury. Mother Nature intervened too, as a thunderstorm postponed a microchip vote that had been scheduled for Monday night.

Democrats are still trying to filibuster-proof their top agenda item — lowering drug prices via the so-called budget reconciliation process, furthering the time crunch. And some senators want to curtail the four-week August recess to negotiate climate change legislation, enshrine same-sex marriage rights or confirm judicial nominees.

In a brief interview, Schumer declined to comment on the possibility of canceling some of the traditional August recess. He said that Democrats are “trying to do the best we can. It’s tough with Covid and everything. We’re going to get things done.”

In the longer term, Senate Democrats are scheduled to return to D.C. for another six weeks before the midterms; two of those weeks are in mid-October and may drop off the calendar so incumbents have more time to campaign, an increasing priority as the party clings to its majority. That means the Democrats may have some tough choices ahead of them with their limited amount of remaining floor time.