Busy bees
According to a document review conducted by the Sunlight Foundation, Congress spent more days in session in 2009 than in any year since 1995. The Sunlight Foundation sells this as "working harder," and maybe it is, though many members of Congress would argue that time spent in the home office, fact-finding trips, constituent meetings and much else should count as "work." Either way, Congress spent more days in 2009 doing the nation's business than in any year since 1995.
By
Ezra Klein
|
January 8, 2010; 1:25 PM ET
Categories:
Congress
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Posted by: spamsux1 | January 8, 2010 1:55 PM | Report abuse
Now, how much of that was because they got more accomplished, and how much was because things that had majority support and should have been passed quickly actually ended up taking insufferably long?
Posted by: ScottKP | January 8, 2010 2:52 PM | Report abuse
This is definitely a good thing. I have been saying for years that Members of Congress, whether House or Senate, spend far too much time away from Washington. They should not be visiting their Districts and States three days per week. Bring back the 5-day Congressional work week----get rid of this Tuesday-through-Thursday garbage and do the job of legislating. They are elected legislators, so stay in Washington and legislate. Do the people's business.
Posted by: OHIOCITIZEN | January 8, 2010 3:58 PM | Report abuse
@ScottKP: My first thought, exactly!
Did the Sunlighters deduct or include the days on end that were spent fulfilling the passage of (wasted) time required by the unprecedented number of Repubs' generated filibusters?
Posted by: onewing1 | January 8, 2010 4:14 PM | Report abuse
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Ezra Klein says: "According to a document review conducted by the Sunlight Foundation, Congress spent more days in session in 2009 than in any year since 1995."
Got a chuckle out of the sentence.
I just wonder how many of those days were spent out of the bipartisan "Sunlight" and instead inside Democrat-only backrooms where trillion-dollar bills were forged.