A House Democrat introduced legislation on Thursday to prohibit lawmakers from sleeping in their offices, a practice that is common among some members of Congress.
Rep. Bennie Thompson’s (D-Miss.) measure would also allow lawmakers to receive tax deductions for their living expenses while in Washington for legislative work, according to CNN.
Dozens of House Democrats in recent months have called for an investigation into the practice of lawmakers opting to sleep in their offices, which members have done while citing the rising cost of rent in the city.
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Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and dozens of other lawmakers have admitted to staying in their offices instead of finding lodging in Washington.
“It actually makes me more efficient,” Ryan told CNN’s Dana Bash in 2015. “I can actually get more work done by sleeping on a cot in my office. I have been doing it for at least a decade, and I’m going to keep doing it.”
Earlier this year, 30 members of the Congressional Black Caucus submitted a letter urging the House Ethics Committee to conduct an investigation into whether lawmakers who sleep overnight in their offices are violating federal law by receiving free services such as security and cable TV.
Johnson’s bill, introduced Thursday, is not expected see movement in the GOP-led House. Ryan’s office told Roll Call that the Speaker would not support the legislation over its tax deduction provision for members.
“The speaker does not believe members need additional taxpayer money for housing,” Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong told the newspaper.