Speed Demons

The House of Representatives is on track this year to be in session for fewer days than the Congress Harry Truman labeled as “do-nothing” during his 1948 re-election campaign. Through Friday, the House has been in session for only 19 days in 2006, compared with 33 for the Senate. If they stick to their current schedule — including two weeks off in April, a week in May and July, plus all of August — House members will spend 97 days in Washington this year. The House was in session 108 days in 1948.

Members of Congress are taking an entire week off for St. Patrick's Day. It's the latest scheduling innovation to give members more time to meet with constituents. “This is an election year and people want to see more of their constituents,” says House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. Remember, that's the most important thing. Not the war on terror, not balanced budgets, not rebuilding New Orleans. Hustling contributions and votes is the most important priority for the Republicans.

During the first two months of the year, House members logged a total of only 47 hours in the Capitol. They took off almost the entire month of January.

Good thing they work really fast at bankrupting the country and rubber stamping W's incompetent policies whether in Iraq or the Gulf Coast. On Thursday, the House used two-minute vote times to get through an emergency $91.9 billion spending bill, according to Roll Call. To do this Republican leaders resurrected a tactic that hadn’t been used in nearly 20 years: speed voting.

House Majority Leader Boehner (R-Ohio) revived the strategy Thursday afternoon, seeking a “more efficient” way of dealing with the numerous back-to-back votes expected on the spending bill designating funds for the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as hurricane relief to the Gulf Coast, a spokesman said.

So here is to the New Republican Order. Don't write the bills, (let lobbyists do that), don't read the bills, (too time consuming), don't spend time voting on the bills, ("more efficient" that way), don't care about the affect of the bills (not your blood or money that's going to pay for it), and then go to a fundraiser. The Republicans are good at what they do - rubber stamping W's failed policies and bankrupting the nation. All in under 2 minutes once or so a month.

By the way congressional lawmakers will make $165,200 this year. "Leaders" earn more.