EVERYWHERE — Constituents across the United States announced a civic recess Friday, citing exhaustion from monitoring a House of Representatives that had already recessed after a long stretch of not working.

“I’ve been showing up for democracy in the form of refreshing news apps,” said Des Moines voter Mara Ellison. “They went on break from not working. I am going on break from watching them not work. The symmetry felt important.”

Local organizers distributed “Out of Office” lawn signs for people who planned to stop answering political texts until Congress resumed whatever it had been failing to do. Several HOAs banned the signs for looking too engaged.

Political scientists described the voter break as a rare bipartisan achievement. “Both parties successfully produced fatigue,” said American University professor Glen Hart. “The electorate is now modeling institutional behavior with remarkable fidelity.”

House leadership welcomed the news, noting that fewer calls from constituents would free members to rest harder. “We’ve earned this,” a spokesperson said, gesturing at an empty chamber that had been empty on purpose.

Critics warned that if voters also stop watching, nobody will be left to narrate the inactivity, which could collapse several cable panels and at least one Substack. Podcasters vowed to cover the absence of coverage until someone returns.

At press time, voters had extended their break by one week to come back more prepared to resume watching the House prepare to not work, while the House extended its break to match, citing solidarity with the American people.