House Plans Only 109 Workdays In 2012

The House Of Representatives will be in session for less than 1/3 of the year next year:

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor released the 2012 House calendar today, and lawmakers will be spending even less time in Washington next year than they did this year.

There are just six scheduled working days in January. Three in August. And five in October. In all, the House of Representatives is scheduled to be in session 109 weekdays next year, and will be in recess 151 weekdays – meaning recess days will outstrip working days by nearly a 3 to 2 margin.

“Six days on the calendar in January? It really makes you wonder about the schedule,” remarked House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at her weekly press conference, adding that “particularly at this time when American people are feeling so much pain…at some point you have bring the message home and represent your people, find agreement, we can’t do that if everyone is at home.”

Republicans shot back that Democrats scheduled even fewer work days – 104 – in 2008.

Given that it’s an election year, and a Presidential election year at that, this isn’t entirely surprising. And, quite honestly, when Congress isn’t in session there’s less likelihood they’ll do any damage.

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Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. Dave Schuler says:

    If we can get it down to three or four, it may do some good.

  2. Tsar Nicholas says:

    0 would be better.

  3. Barb Hartwell says:

    This disgusts me The money these thugs get for so little while so many are told they can not get food stamps because of cuts Eric Cantor is puke.and every other vile thing anyone can think of.

  4. Just nutha ig'rant cracker says:

    A few years back a Libertarian candidate running for governor of Washington State floated the idea that if he was elected he would propose legislation that paid legislators their full salaries (at the time, I think representatives made about $58,000 and senators made about $80,000) if the legislature met, a 100% bonus if it didn’t meet and half as much if they went into special session.

    I heard later that legislators were opposed to the idea because the job wasn’t worth doing for only $36 and 40 thousand, respectively.

    It’s said that a Congressperson is someone who never got over losing the election for homeroom president in high school. Sometimes I wonder.