Exclusive Gyms For Members Of Congress Deemed ‘Essential,’ Remain Open During Shutdown

[Mass]

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/10/08/2748461/members-only-congressional-gyms-deemed-essential-remain-open-during-shutdown/

Head Start programs have been shuttered, small businesses can’t get loans and hundreds of thousands of federal government employees are furloughed. But the exclusive gyms available only to members of Congress have remained open throughout the shutdown.
A House aide confirmed to ThinkProgress that the House member’s gym is open. The House gym features a swimming pool, basketball courts, paddleball courts, a sauna, a steam room and flat screen TVs. While towel service is unavailable, taxpayers remain on the hook for cleaning and maintenance, which has been performed daily throughout the shutdown. There are also costs associated with the power required to heat the pools and keep the lights on.

...

Dozens of House members — including many members of the Tea Party who pushed the government into shutdown over demands to defund Obamacare — live in their offices to save money and use the House gym to shower.

[onehandle]

1. Must not inconvenience a handful of millionaires that are inconveniencing millions...

...and killing tens of thousands.

[DURHAM D]

2. Those Teabaggers living on federal property need to be paying rent.

As a taxpayer I am tired of paying for their utilities, water and sewer and laundry plus providing them luxury amenities that I cannot personally afford.

Are there any Democrats living in the House?

[global1]

3. House And Senate Offices Should Not Be Bed & Breakfast Rooms At Taxpayers Expense.......

This using their offices as sleeping/living quarters should be prohibited. The gym should be immediately closed. We need to inconvenience these guys - not make it easy for them to hold us hostage. Maybe if they couldn't shower for a few days they might start smelling themselves - like we are smelling them right now - and they might end this standoff.

I'm sick an tired of one set of rules for these guys and another set of rules for the rest of us.

[freshwest]

4. Kicking for hubris alert.

[City Lights]

5. Arrogant hypocrites.

Republicans are a disgusting bunch.

[Sheldon Cooper]

6. Oh come on, you liberals. They're going without towel service, for chrissake!

If that's not sharing the pain, then I don't know what is.

[bullwinkle428]

7. GOD FORBID Paul Ryan's abs should suffer in this time of crisis.

[Mad-in-Mo]

8. Well at least we have our priorities in order.....

nt

[Nine]

9. best part

According to the aide, the decision to keep the gym open — even while other critical government services were shelved — came directly from Speaker Boehner’s office.

This SO needs to go viral.

[dionysus]

10. can you imagine boner in the sauna.. dripping streams of orange...

on second thought