The House has a 2 1/2 day workweek. Wtf?

[debbierlus]

They did manage to work ONCE on a recent Friday to increase their own budget.

http://rawstory.com/2009/10/house-cuts-workweek-to-2-12-days/

In theory, the best job in American politics is the President of the United States.

But the president's now got some competition: House Representative. The Democratic-led House -- in the middle of the biggest healthcare fight in a generation -- has now trimmed their workweek to just two and a half days, leaving members of Congress plenty of time to ski or play golf.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) promised after the Democrats won the House in 2006 and then after Obama's election this year that the House would hold longer workweeks. But as the fall of 2009 wanes, the House has taken to starting on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm and adjourning "before the sun goes down" on Thursdays.

That certainly wasn't Hoyer's tune in 2006, when he claimed that congressmembers were going to have to work five days a week.


................Full article at link at top.........................................................

[Jkid]

1. They're not part time employyees, they're fulltime represenatives.

KandR

[MidwestRick]

2. As long as they travel back to their districts

on those days off in Washington, or are meeting with constituents in Washington, I do not have a problem with this.

[ixion]

3. This is why the idea of a 'career' politician is a bad concept

It should not be pleasant, and they most certainly should NOT be able to approve their own pay and benefits.

[JDPriestly]

4. How long has Congress been quibbling over healthcare legislation now?

Seems like forever. The best answer is so obvious: Medicare for all. But Congress is milking this issue like it was the only one out there. Meanwhile, they are doing nothing about the really basic issue: energy independence.

What a bunch of procrastinators.

The health care "debate" is beginning to look like an excuse for not doing anything else.

[louis-t]

5. A bad habit left over from repug majority.

Laziest m-f ers on the planet.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Actually

And I am by no means any cheerleader for congress - but the House (which this article is focusing on) DID do most of its legislative work BEFORE the recess in August including getting ALL 3 HCR bills out of their respective committees AND generating the most critical pieces of legislation - the 12 appropriations bills (all separate). In the past, they took the lazy way out by issuing an Omnibus appropriations bill.

Also they held hearings during that recess. Note that dozens and dozens of committees and subcommittees have no jurisdiction over or relationship to health care.

It's the Senate that has gone about its leisurely pace with the blue dogs delaying and falling over themselves alongside Baucus to try to get their 15 minutes of fame. :eyes:

[csziggy]

8. And the HELP Committee got their bill out before the recess

It is just the Finance Committee that is dragging ass on health insurance reform.

Too bad no one is really working on health CARE reform!

[ddeclue]

7. This is truly an unfair analysis - I happen to know several Congressmen to varying degrees, one

I know fairly well.

They are IN SESSION 2-1/2 days a week but they are our Representatives 24/7/365.

Most of them find themselves on a plane back and forth to the district at least twice a week every week of their Congressional careers - that's a lot of frequent flying.

They have to deal with Constituent problems and spend huge amounts of time and effort raising money for their re-elections as well. It is a big sacrifice for the ones with families because they don't get to see the kids hardly at all because of the job.

Oh and by the way the house will be in session pretty late tonight as I understand it - until 9PM.

Doug D.

[Davis_X_Machina]

9. Dont confuse the issue...

...I'm enjoying some quality umbrage, and I don't want it messed up with facts.