scottpeters.com

The House is in session five days a week 20 percent of the time. One member wants to change that.

April 6, 2015

During the impressively unimpressive 113th Congress, we looked at the regularity which with Congress was in session. Only about 40 percent of weekdays since 1975, we found, were the House or Senate in session, the sort of work product that might get you fired as a 16-year-old lifeguard, though not as a federal legislator. One response to that article was that Congress does work when it’s not in session, like holding town halls and so on in their districts. Which is largely true, but is also very convenient.

For Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), who recently started his second term in the House, the excuse apparently doesn’t hold much water. Last week, he introduced a proposal to #FixCongressNow (apparently including the hashtag for some reason). First on the list? “Institute 5-Day Congressional work weeks.”

 

“Average Americans work five days a week so there is no reason Congress should not be required to as well,” Peters’ proposal reads. “A five-day work week would increase the time members of Congress are able to spend together working on substantive legislation and would help foster bipartisan working relationships.”

How rare is a House five-day-work week? Pretty rare, in fact. Here’s every time the House has been in session five weekdays in a row since 1975.

To put a fine point on it, they are in session for five weekdays in a row 20 percent of the time. (At least that’s consistent; it hasn’t been any lower over the last decade.)

Two more details about Peters’ proposal. First, it also would increase the number of weeks Congress is in session to 39. (This year, they’re slotted for 34.) And, second, it will never pass, any more than if a colleague asked for your vote to extend your workday by two hours. That’s a tough majority to put together.

That there hasn’t been any movement on the bill yet isn’t a surprise. Congress has been on recess for Easter for a week. They’re off this week, too.

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