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DEL.ICIO.USThe dread five-day Congressional week
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The news that Democratic U.S. House leaders are about to impose a five-day work week may seem like very inside-the-beltway news. Guess again. It’s going to affect civic club speech schedules across the country, and even have an effect on traffic patterns at Hartsfield-Jackson.
The House has been adjourning every Thursday and reconvening every Tuesday afternoon. That may seem like a pretty light work week, but the reality is that most members hurry back home every week to a flurry of local meetings and political events. In election terms, the four days at home often means more than anything the members do in Washington.
For many Southern members, that means changing planes twice a week in Atlanta, with a spur flight to their districts and hundreds of miles of driving to get to those Rotary Clubs and party fish fries. The new schedule announced Tuesday won’t allow that kind of time.
Rep. Jack Kingston had a different take on the news.
“Keeping us up here eats away at families. Marriages suffer,” the Savannah Republican told the Washington Post. “The Democrats care less about families — that’s what this says.”
Of course, the members could always move their families to D.C.
Comments
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By Dave
December 6, 2006 3:33 PM | Link to this
How many people that voted for this guy work 3 days a week?
By TS
December 6, 2006 3:56 PM | Link to this
Most people don’t realize that most congressmen are working 7 days a week…most of the time outside of Washington is spent traveling or kissing babies in the district.
By 89 Bulldog
December 6, 2006 4:41 PM | Link to this
Good Morning America had a total smarta$$ piece this week making fun of the Tues-Thurs schedule, with a correspondent wandering around empty halls, asking how hard Congressmen are working for their $160K salary.
Follow any member, (and their staff) for seven days, and you will find most, in either party, working their tails off. I’m not saying they deserve sympathy, as they’ve all asked for the priviledge of serving. But members who have to spend 5 days a week in Washington are out of touch from their voters.
As for “moving their families” to D.C., try operating one household in D.C. on $160K, much less keeping one back in the district where you live.
By Jason
December 6, 2006 4:55 PM | Link to this
Poor, neglected Congressmen! I wonder how in the world our Congress possibly worked back before air travel, when the only way to stay in touch with the district was through letter writing. Why, we had Congresses before telephones and the electric light! In the days of instant communication, Congressmen can keep in touch with their districts and their districts with them. Bravo to Democrats for putting the peoples’ business first!
Strong families won’t get torn apart. If Jack Kingston’s wife doesn’t like him being absent, she should make him resign from Congress so he can be home.
By Rawestwena
December 6, 2006 6:28 PM | Link to this
Or, like other people who take jobs out of town, they MOVE there family there.
By Bill Kecskes
December 6, 2006 7:42 PM | Link to this
It aint babies they’re kissing in the district!
By Statesboro Dem
December 6, 2006 8:30 PM | Link to this
I usually like Kingston, but this is the kind of rhetoric that annoys me. The Democrats are anti-family because they want five days of work on the Hill? Perhaps the Democrats are saying that Rotary Club meetings and the like are less important than actually legislating and conducting oversight of the administration. There’s a reason the last Congress was known as a rubber stamp and the “do-nothing” Congress. What can you hope to get done in three days?
By GodHatesTrash
December 6, 2006 9:05 PM | Link to this
Anti-family is sending people over to Iraq to die and kill, Kingston, you worthless POS.
Your wife is probably glad you’re not home…
By LMAO!
December 7, 2006 8:44 AM | Link to this
How are they ever going to find time to meet with all the lobbyists!
An outrage!
By liz
December 7, 2006 9:39 AM | Link to this
This piece was all over the press, except for the Savannah Morning News. Kingston allegedly has connections via his wife (an heir to the Morris news fortune).
By GodHatesTrash
December 7, 2006 11:36 AM | Link to this
According to the morons in the GOP, this country is at war. Clowns like Kingston should be sleeping under their desks in DC.
By KR
December 7, 2006 11:36 AM | Link to this
Serving as a member of the House of Representatives was never meant to be a career. The original idea was to elect someone to serve for two years, then elect someone else for the next two years. And so on…
Don’t let Kingston and his cronies fool anyone. Their time back in the district is geared to getting themselves re-elected and nothing else.
I’m totally behind the mandated 5 day work week. Hopefully, they will institute term limits next.
By Shep
December 7, 2006 11:48 AM | Link to this
Just goes to show the Dems on this blog have no idea what they’re talking about. Back before plane travel, Congressmen worked and lived in DC, then Congress would adjoun for months at a time, mostly in the hot DC summer. I have worked for 2 Congressmen and their time at home is anything but relaxing. Even during WWII, Congress did not meet all year. Get your facts straight…oh sorry, Democrats don’t worry about facts!
By RAC
December 7, 2006 12:01 PM | Link to this
What is the point there Shep?
By War EAgle
December 7, 2006 12:26 PM | Link to this
the opposite of PROGRESS is Congress. The more time the Alqaidacrats have in the assembly, the more damage they can do-like-surrendering to the Muslims, increasing taxes, recognizing dictators,negotiating with terrorists, downsizing the military, raising interest rates-kind of what Jimmy Carter did.
By ed
December 7, 2006 1:17 PM | Link to this
recognizind dictators? Similar to how Reagan did?
By RAC
December 7, 2006 3:25 PM | Link to this
Didn’t Reagan also deal arms to the Iranians? Oh, and Bush “read my lips” 41, weren’t taxes raised during his term?
By th south ga
December 8, 2006 10:37 AM | Link to this
I would not want my family to live in Washington. The job does not pay enough to accept those risks. By the way, Kingston has slept in his office.