more any from abc news reporter david curley. >> talk about a mad dash. members of congress leaving the capitol, grabbing their bags and heading home for a five-week vacation. gone with time running out to pass some big pieces of the country's business, including a budget. >> when you are at work, you are working until you get it all done. then you go on vacation. >> citizens vacationing in the nation's capital. >> you were your vacation. >> most of us get two weeks vacation. and look at the calendar. once they return, the house will have just nine working days before the end of the budget year. the senate just a few more. >> oh, my goodness. i mean the amount of stuff, the list of important things that need to be done and this congress, it's as long as my arm. >> so far this year the senate met for only 96 working days. they were out of session for 53 days. the house worked 102 days. the worry, we are headed to another fiscal cliff. >> i have to run away for a meeting. >> we tried to talk to several members. >> but none wanted to talk to us about their p

david curley has that story. >> reporter: fliers already feel the frustration, the squeeze in the cabin, more seats in packed planes, and all those fees, a bag, 25 bucks, more leg room, $45, even a snack, 3-8 bucks. >> the baggage is a pain in the rear end. >> reporter: but tonight the u.s. government says, this is a quote, the consumers will get the shaft if american airlines is allowed to merge with u.s. airways. >> i wouldn't be surprised if prices go up. >> reporter: so you kind of agree with the government's case that less competition means higher fares? >> that's the general economics rules, as an economics majors, yes, i agree that means higher prices. >> reporter: they are suing to stop the deal before it gets off the ground saying fares will increase. here's what's strange, this is rare, only twice before has the government moved to block a merger. we have seen a lot of airline names disappear from those boards. all those mergers left five major airlines, but the government says creating the largest airline by combining american and u.s. airways is the tipping point, bad for co