Congressmen Pressure Boehner To Close House Members-Only Gym

[Tx4obama]

Congressmen Pressure Boehner To Close House Members-Only Gym

Members of Congress are circulating letters calling on House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to close the members-only gym as long as the shutdown continues.

As ThinkProgress reported Tuesday, the shutdown closed the Congressional staff gym, but, thanks to Boehner’s office, the members’ gym has remained open through the shutdown. After uproar over the still-running gym, a spokesperson for the Architect of the Capitol explained in an email to ThinkProgress, “The decision not to lock Members out was made because they keep personal items there, but Members have been made aware that the facility will be unstaffed until the government reopens, as its employees are paid with appropriated funds, which are unavailable during the shutdown.”

Rep. Earl Blumenthauer (D-OR) sent an email asking his colleagues to sign on to a letter telling Boehner to close the gym, as “it is hard to rationalize the gym rises above other important services that are closed.”

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Full article here: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/10/08/2753831/congressmen-pressure-gym-closure/

They should close it permanently.
There are members of Congress - that do not have living quarters in DC and they slept in their offices and use the gym for their daily showers etc.
They should have to go elsewhere and pay rent like everyone else

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Edited to add - Related article below

Gov’t Shutdown Finally Hitting Members of Congress Where it Hurts…

Here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/govt-shutdown-finally-hitting-members-of-congress-where-it-hurts/

[DURHAM D]

1. Yes, I am tired of paying utility bills and

providing water, soap, towels, shampoo, razors and toilet paper to those Teabagging shit heads. I was hoping someone would start an online petition to make those rat bastards move out of the Capital.

[Cha]

2. Yeah, bad freaking optics, asshole.

thanks Tx

[BumRushDaShow]

3. This should be front and center

on Sludge's site. But alas, his headline is "YELLEN TO RUN THE WORLD".

[Buddha_of_Wisdom]

4. They should pay rent like everyone else if they sleep in the office

instead of renting an apartment about 50 miles away so you can stay cheap and waste that equally on fuel....

Or even find a roomie or two or fifty....

[TeamPooka]

7. No

[frylock]

8. no?

[Volaris]

11. I want to know why they dont have designated housing (quarters) assigned to them attached to Capitol

Like a dorm or VERY small studio apartment. We don't send these people there to fuck off, eat like kings and hang around the spa. And yeah, I get that everyone needs to keep healthy and de-stress (I actually would prefer my reps to be as clear-headed as possible when they go to work) but their Offices should be sufficient to the staff they keep, and the WORK they do, and their PERSONAL level of comfort should be small in comparison. These people are performing a public service, and while they should be rewarded for it by US, it should be UNTHINKABLE to them to reward THEMSELVES for the work they are doing.

If I were ever given the High Honor of serving in Congress, I would make ALL my living expenses a matter of Public Record in my district, and likely would be content to sleep under a bridge or some-such just to try and keep those expenses DOWN.

I'm not pissed if the gym stays open. I'm pissed that the STAFF gym just HAD to be closed (because, you know, FUCK the people we pay to actually read stuff and explain it to us), and I'm pissed that the gym Congress gets to use isn't open to, like EVERYONE ELSE IN THE CITY OF DC.

I'm not mad if the gym stays open. I'm mad that they act like such elitist dicks about it.

[riderinthestorm]

5. Since their offices are "public" spaces, their staff should also have the right to sleep there

Why does the Congressperson only get the right to sleep there? Why not the staff as well?

Sound silly? Because it IS! Nobody should be sleeping there. The extra expenses for that fall on taxpayers.

Close the damn gym which is serving as a deluxe spa and bathroom, and the congresspeople should get an apartment like normal people. Historically, when Congress members actually lived in DC instead of camping, they actually got to know each other and socialize. Lots of deal making got done.

Its impossible to throw a dinner party in your office so its impossible to get to really know your fellow members.

[Tx4obama]

6. Bump :)

[riderinthestorm]

9. Late night kick nt

[lonestarnot]

10. So is it open or shut and did ickyleaker get his nut-sack hung up in the treadmill before he "shut

'er down?"

[riderinthestorm]

12. Its open. The congresspeople who sleep in their offices want it open

since they're sleeping in their offices, they have access to showers, gym equipment etc... on taxpayer dime. That's "essential" (more so than Meals on Wheels or funding for death benefits for veterans etc.

The staff (who aren't similarly allowed to sleep in the public offices), their gym is closed.

[lonestarnot]

14. So let 'em get their asses to the gas station, hostel or salvation army like any citizen who would

reside in Washington without a place to stay. Fuck 'em let 'em rent a room. I certainly can't sleep at my workplace. I'd have to sleep in a car.

[libdem4life]

13. Perfect opportunity to experience living out of their cars. They can't afford to live where they

work...or heaven forfend, don't want to live where they work? Well, neither can a lot of other people who are doing a hell of a lot more than they are.