House of Representatives... it's more like a couple of people on a cot!

[Radio_Lady]

I know it's 5:45 PM in Washington, DC.

But there are only two or three people in the House of Representatives at this time.

Amazing! This is like pissing in the wind as the Democrats rant!

I'm sick of it!

Signed,

A Discouraged Democrat

Radio_Lady

[Sanity Claws]

1. Huh?

I'm not sure what you're looking at but I think you forgot that the Reps have offices. I'll bet many are in their offices or meeting with staff. Not all of their work is on the Congressional floor.

[Radio_Lady]

5. I've watched the House over the years. I've also watched the British

government during the sessions where they "ask the Prime Minister".

Looks like they always have a full house!

[ashling]

12. It's an altogether different thing

I am at work and not able to get C-Span here, but I would guess that you are watching what they call Special Orders. When the House does not have regularly scheduled business on the floor such as debate or a vote scheduled, Members have a chance to speechify. It was only with the advent of CSpan that these became such a big deal. However, it is a way to get on the record.

Newt Gingrich came into his own this way, by giving these long harrangues. At fiswt, there was only a fixed camera showing the speaker. There was a brouhaha when Speaker Tip O'Neal had the camera position changed to show an empty House.

B-1 Bob Dornan was particularly bad at using these sessions to rant against Bill Clinton and anything in general. One day on the way home from work, my wife was sitting next to him at the light at the Southeast corner of the Cannon Bldg. Dornan was in his car just ranting and jesticulating and pointing and and yelling to the air . . . much the same as he did on the House Floor LOL

My wife just happens to be in London right now on a January Semester class. The "ask the Prime Minister" sessions are regularly scheduled sessions and very well attended. It is sort of a cross between a Presidential Press Conference and a hearing where he is expected to respond to even the most hard hitting and sometimes almost vulgar remarks. One of those sessions would have Bush in a puddle on the floor in a matter of minutes. Nothing really like it here.

But, back to the original point. Don't think that members are not working just because they are not on the floor. /their offices are only steps away so they can be there for debate or votes at a moments notice, as long as the House hasn't been asjourned for the week ... and I don't think Nancy is going to do that untill this big push is over.

[DURHAM D]

2. Are you serious? n/t

[Radio_Lady]

3. I am. In the wide shot of the House, with Rep. Stephanie Tubbs speaking now...

there are about five people. 3:50 PM in Pacific Time.

Maxine Waters is on now...

[DURHAM D]

4. They are not in session. n/t

[katsy]

7. Try CSPAN3

Representatives are questioning Pace now.

They are working. Multi-tasking.

:eyes:

[Greeby]

10. Only for the half-hour of Prime Minister's Questions

And the rare debates over Iraq, which New Labour have so far made a rare occurence.

Other times, it's very sparse

[Radio_Lady]

17. Thanks, Greeby, I'm sure you're right...

[solara]

6. I think you are referring to the "Out of Iraq Caucus": - Maxine Waters

has been letting the members use her 60 minutes to speak out against the war and put it all into the record. And it is sadly true that no one is there but the Reps are speaking out and they are on CSPAN and on the record... every little bit works

[Radio_Lady]

8. Says U.S. House! I know there were three government bodies working today (and on C-SPAN).

We only get two C-Span channels. I had to look at the third one "Out of Iraq Caucus" on my computer.

I am now watching Keith Ellison on one of the TV channels.

[malaise]

9. It's live on CSpan

and it's great to record for students.

[JNelson6563]

11. This is as old as C-Span itself

I remember well during the Clinton years....Rush Limbaugh and Faux News were on the ascent and other things Dems should have noted were goin' on. It was not uncommon to tune into C-Span in the evening and see an empty chamber a couple of Rethugs in there, one on the floor spewing reich wing propaganda material, un challenged, without rebuttal, just a'spewing for any Americans tunin' in.

I must say it was an impressive piece of a large and complicated puzzle that resulted in complete Rethug dominance for a painfully long time (painful for years after the dominance).

Glad to see the Dems making use of the camera time, regardless of who is/isn't in the chamber. It's primarily for the sake of the viewers. ;-)

Julie

[monmouth]

14. Kucinich was on earlier and he was a rockin....

[sallyseven]

13. The member keeps up with what is going on

by watching TV or having a trusted staffer watch it. They have committee meeting you know. Rules Committee goes into the late evening, and some other go on during the late afternoon and evening.

[Rosemary2205]

15. the people's business has never been done on the house floor

- at least not in my lifetime - nearly all of it is done backstage, small meetings, committee hearings and meetings, lunch deals, dinner deals, blah blah blah. Those speechs on the house floor you see on Cspan are just window dressing for the cameras so the folks back home think congressperson so and so is on the case.

[Radio_Lady]

16. Thanks, Rosemary... I appreciate your post.

[Radio_Lady]

18. I am grateful for all of your comments in this thread. Seeing things from a different angle.

[MzNov]

19. Members have cameras and intercoms all over the House and

in their offices while they go to committee meetings, and are still doing some orientation stuff. They can hear what is going on continuously and get to the floor during a necessary vote or heated debate.

It does look pretty lonely in the chambers sometimes, but it doesn't mean they aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing. Madame Speaker would not allow it anyway.