House, Senate scale back voting for ’08

There will be fewer five-day work weeks for lawmakers on Capitol Hill next year.

The House and Senate unveiled their 2008 schedules on Monday and, as expected, there will be more time for members to work and campaign in their home states.

{mosads}When releasing the House schedule, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) assured legislators in an accompanying letter that their time in Washington next year would not inhibit them from working in their districts.

“This schedule not only will help this body build on its successes of 2007, but also permit members adequate time in their districts to perform important work for their constituents,” Hoyer said in the letter.

Some Democrats and Republicans have complained throughout this year that they are spending too much time in Washington, and not enough at home. Legislators from the West Coast have also indicated they wanted the schedule to be pared back.

House Democrats have scheduled 13 Mondays and 12 Fridays in 2008, in contrast to 11 Mondays and 10 Fridays when Republicans controlled the House in the 109th Congress. The schedule includes five “district work periods,” and the target adjournment date is Sept. 26.

This year, the House has held a record number of roll call votes. As of Monday, it had held 1,122 such votes.
After reviewing the 2008 calendar, Republicans were quick to point out that few weeks actually included five full working days.

“I wasn’t a math major so I could be wrong, but I didn’t count too many five-day work weeks in there,” said Brian Kennedy, spokesman for Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). “I think they’ve run out of campaign promises to break next year.”

Ken Spain, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee added, “While Democrats might be tired of working five days a week, they can rest assured that the American public has grown even more tired of them.”

Democrats defended their schedule and argued that Republicans spent less time and effort in Washington during their tenure in the majority.

“The last Republican Congress was in session significantly less than this Democratic Congress has been and will be,” said Stacey Bernards, spokeswoman for Hoyer. “We have already made significant progress for the American people this session, and the bottom line is we will be in Washington as many days as needed next year to complete the people’s business.”

The Senate will convene on Jan. 15, according to a release by Senate Democratic leaders. Its work period and schedule largely reflects the lower chamber’s; however, it did not release a target adjournment date.