You be the judge. Does it seem like Joe Walsh is in the 8th District every time you turn around? Town halls at the drop of a hat at which the same 100 fans turn up. Tea Party rallies. 912 Patriots hooplas. Geez. It almost seems like you can't go out for a cup of coffee anymore without tripping over a Congressman with time on his hands.Looking at the schedule for the new 112th Congress, though, it's not a big surprise. In this new Congress, any given day could be a day off. In fact, Congressional Republicans plan to take about 21 weeks not working in Washington, D.C. this year. Nice job if you can get it.
(Sure, they call them "constituent work weeks," but who will ever know if they do? By contrast, the Democrat-controlled Congress, just concluded, took off about 9 of such "work" weeks in 2010.)
According to our research, the planned recess time for the 112th, Republican-controlled, Congress is 108 days or 41% of the normal work year in recess. With the average Congressional salary of $174,000, their pay works out to $669/day if we assume they are supposed to work five days a week. In other words, the American taxpayers will pay an astonishing $72,252 per Congressman for the time Congress is not in session in 2011.
By contrast, the Democrat-controlled Congress took just 54 days of recess during the work week in 2010 or 20% of the work year. That comes out to just $36,126 per Congressman for time not in session.
Hmmm. So we've paid Joe Walsh more than $4,000 so far this year for time off. And counting. Maybe we should ask for a refund. Or a 41% budget cut in Congressional salaries.
Don't believe us? Here are the 2010 Congressional Calendar and the projected 2011 calendar, from the official House web site. Current Congress on the left. Republican pink representing days off back in the district.
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10 comments:
Well after all Walsh did campaign on "less government". Much to the district's chagrin what he really meant now the 112th schedule is posted is his less involvement in government.
"Some people may say that's reckless, but so what?” -Congressman Joe Walsh (R-Fox News)
This might be the dumbest story I have ever read. You start by saying, that during his time in the district, Congressman Walsh is working non stop to be everywhere and to listen to his constituents. Then you say that they are not working much because the Congressional Calender is so light. It seems to me that even during the time that you refer to as time off, the Congressman is working his tail off. Good for him. Unless you were at the Schaumburg mall, you never saw Ms. Bean.
Are we now blaming Congressman Walsh for the Congressional Calender too? Come on.
Would you rather that the Congressman stay in Washington, DC and not interact with his constituents? Odd.
Is he working in the District?.....really...only his close TEA Party confidents know that for sure. His events are generally publicized within 24 hours of their occurrence. He is stealthy in that regard! Every forum he appears at, it is the same base group of protectors.
44 days down, 627 to go...
With the challenges of debt, deficits and budgets, these guys should not be hob knobbing around the district at this point in time.
If anything, they need to be burning the mid-night oil in Washington D.C. working as a team for the United States of America!
@lc truth. I agree. I got so fed up over the last couple of years with Congress hardly working. I was happy that at 9:15 on a Friday night, I just saw Congressman Joe Walsh on the floor voting for more cuts. While I did not vote for him, I do at least respect that he is willing to work late hours to try to get rid of this deficit.
Hi n 12...you have your years confused...it is the 111th that worked 5 days a week in DC...the 112th is home playing games and not doing their duty as our Reps in Washington. Just like LC mentioned especially right now with the budget. You couldn't have seen Joe because he is in Gurnee right now!
I am confused again then. Maybe there are two Joe Walsh's. If you look up votes, Joe Walsh just voted 4 times from 8:00 P.M. on Friday through 4:40 A.M. this Saturday to pass the CR. It is part of the Congressional record. SO how is he also in Gurnee? Look, whether we like the guy or not, let's only attack him on things that are truthful. Here is the link of the last vote this morning:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2011/roll147.xml
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