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Culture Shock on Capitol Hill: House to Work 5 Days a Week
The Washington Post ^ | Wednesday, December 6, 2006 | Lyndsey Layton

Posted on 12/05/2006 10:47:03 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Forget the minimum wage. Or outsourcing jobs overseas. The labor issue most on the minds of members of Congress yesterday was their own: They will have to work five days a week starting in January.

The horror.

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat who will become House majority leader and is writing the schedule for the next Congress, said members should expect longer hours than the brief week they have grown accustomed to.

"I have bad news for you," Hoyer told reporters. "Those trips you had planned in January, forget 'em. We will be working almost every day in January, starting with the 4th."

The reporters groaned. "I know, it's awful, isn't it?" Hoyer empathized.

For lawmakers, it is awful, compared with what they have come to expect. For much of this election year, the legislative week started late Tuesday and ended by Thursday afternoon -- and that was during the relatively few weeks the House wasn't in recess.

Next year, members of the House will be expected in the Capitol for votes each week by 6:30 p.m. Monday and will finish their business about 2 p.m. Friday, Hoyer said.

With the new calendar, the Democrats are trying to project a businesslike image when they take control of Congress in January. House and Senate Democratic leaders have announced an ambitious agenda for their first 100 hours and say they are adamant about scoring legislative victories they can trumpet in the 2008 campaigns.

Hoyer and other Democratic leaders say they are trying to repair the image of Congress, which was so anemic this year it could not meet a basic duty: to approve spending bills that fund government. By the time the gavel comes down on the 109th Congress on Friday, members will have worked a total of 103 days.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2007; capitolhill; congress; democrats
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To: TimSkalaBim
Exactly. The problem isn't we have too little government. No our problem is the exact opposite. We have too much government running every facet of our lives.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

41 posted on 12/06/2006 2:21:51 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: MinorityRepublican
And what is the Libs definition of work?
42 posted on 12/06/2006 2:37:28 AM PST by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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To: JennysCool

"This schedule will last ... Oh, about five days ..."

No. It won't. Rep. Hoyer and Rep. Pelosi will brook no BS from their fellow Democrats. That's in marked contrast to the GOP opposition.

The Democrats intend to win in 2008, and Rep. Hoyer in particular knows that he has a little over a year to deliver results. Or else.


43 posted on 12/06/2006 2:39:02 AM PST by RKBA Democrat (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!)
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To: etcetera
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), who lives in Napa Valley and will have to leave his home at 3 a.m. on Sundays to catch a flight to Washington in time for work Mondays.

This doesn't make sense to me. If you adjust for time zone differences, he leaves at 6 am. It's a 6 hour flight, roughly, so that puts him in at noon sunday. Couldn't he get up at 9 am, and be here at 6 pm, more than enough time to get a good nights sleep and be to work monday morning?

44 posted on 12/06/2006 2:57:43 AM PST by Fierce Allegiance (SAY NO TO RUDY!)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Keep your eye on Steny; he is the Speaker in fact.

Pelosi has lost every appointment battle and compromised every position she advocated already and she has not even been voted speaker.

45 posted on 12/06/2006 3:53:56 AM PST by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Oh dear .... "No man is safe when Congress is in session."


46 posted on 12/06/2006 4:11:56 AM PST by WOSG (The 4-fold path to save America - Think right, act right, speak right, vote right!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

All that hard work, laboring hours upon hours... dim dreams finally about to be realized... all to be stopped cold BY BUSH'S VETO STAMP!

LLS


47 posted on 12/06/2006 4:37:38 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (Preserve America... kill terrorists... destroy dims!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

It's the Potemkin congress LOL!

The media will play along.


48 posted on 12/06/2006 4:40:50 AM PST by mrsmith
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To: California Patriot

I think they should propose that Congress, unless they go to a 5 day work week only receieve 3/5 of their salary.

We should put that on the national ballot.


49 posted on 12/06/2006 4:41:46 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz ("Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted." Lenin)
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To: MinorityRepublican

That way they can vote themselves some bigger pay raises in a few months, and not feel bad about it.


50 posted on 12/06/2006 4:43:07 AM PST by AD from SpringBay (We have the government we allow and deserve.)
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To: EQAndyBuzz

The less they work the better.


51 posted on 12/06/2006 4:43:21 AM PST by conservativefromGa
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To: MinorityRepublican
We should pass a Constitutional Amendment limiting Congress no more than twenty-five days to meet each year.

I agree - it would kind of help them discover their priorities.

52 posted on 12/06/2006 4:44:07 AM PST by Puddleglum
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To: California Patriot

Only one way to change Washington. Term Limits.

Nothing more, nothing less. With term limits, everything will eventually work itself out.


53 posted on 12/06/2006 4:45:11 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz ("Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted." Lenin)
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To: California Patriot

Only one way to change Washington. Term Limits.

Nothing more, nothing less. With term limits, everything will eventually work itself out.


54 posted on 12/06/2006 4:46:01 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz ("Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted." Lenin)
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To: mrsmith
Potemkin Congress is right.

I will bet cash money that Hoyer has worked out a schedule where Rat Congressmen will be allowed to go home on a rotating schedule. Meanwhile, the Republicans, because they won't have the knowledge of when things are going to be brought up on the floor, will have to keep their members there all the time.

This will also allow democrat Congressmen to get home for PR purposes and get a head start on the next elections, while the Republicans will get challengers who say that "Republican Congressman Jones hasn't even come home to see his constituents since January!"

It is the duty of every Freeper to monitor where their congressmen are, particularly the democrats.

55 posted on 12/06/2006 4:50:31 AM PST by Miss Marple (Lord, thank you for Mozart Lover's son's safe return, and look after Jemian's son, please!)
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To: etcetera
At least one guy gets it.

Personally, I'd be happier if the Congress were never in session. That minimizes their capacity for harm.

56 posted on 12/06/2006 4:53:21 AM PST by Oberon (What does it take to make government shrink?)
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To: California Patriot
I couldn't disagree more. I've worked for years in a state legislature. The less these clowns are in session, the better off we are.

If they're there, they pass laws and we already have far too many laws.

We should give them all their full salaries on the very first day of session and then see how long they're there.

57 posted on 12/06/2006 4:57:17 AM PST by Conservativegreatgrandma
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To: Bahbah; Txsleuth

ping


58 posted on 12/06/2006 5:18:22 AM PST by Mo1 (Thank You Mr & Mrs "I'm gonna teach you a lesson" Voter ... you just screwed us on so many levels)
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To: Miss Marple

And these days the media builds the Potemkin Village, the Dems just tell them what they want it to look like....


Found Newt's inaugural 1995 speech, may make for an interesting comparison to Nancy's.
http://americanrhetoric.com/speeches/newtgingrichhousespeakerinaugural.htm


59 posted on 12/06/2006 5:32:31 AM PST by mrsmith
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To: jwh_Denver; NordP
Yup, clueless, ascending side of the Bell Curve Republicans don't get it. What's are the Republicans going to do if the Dems hold it together? This Republican Congress is screwed. They got nothing to offer, save boob bait.

Not that I like the Dems, but they seem to realize that if they keep their worst in check, they can win the middle, so far for them so good.

Actually, I think in their spineless, greasy hearts, the Republicans in Congress like the Dems running the show. They, the Republicans can be bought off by the Dems and thanks to Republican leaders like that fat, dim she cow, 'Denny's' Hastert, there is plenty of pig pork to go around. Trent 'toupee' Lott can't wait to be the coat holding, cheap suited step'n fetch.

I miss Reagan.
60 posted on 12/06/2006 5:32:47 AM PST by Leisler
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