A bill proposed by Rep. David Jolly (R-Fla.) calls for a mandated 40-hour workweek for all members of Congress while they are in Washington.
House Resolution 457 states that it seeks to amend “the Rules of the House of Representatives to require that the House be in session at least 40 hours each week other than a week that is designated as a district work period.”
Jolly, who is running for the U.S. Senate in 2016, said he is sponsoring the bill because he sees a frustration among the public that Congress has not “engaged in a legislative fight to begin to advance the agenda that is right for the American people.”“Americans
are sick and tired of Washington inaction,” Jolly said. “They expect their leaders to govern. Look at all the bills gathering dust while Congress braces for the next self-made calamity. Let’s give voice to the people on issues like border security, transportation, a budget that finally balances.”
The Hill noted that during a typical workweek in Washington, “House members come in Monday evenings for votes at 6:30 p.m. and depart for their districts by early afternoon Thursday,” and then “alternately, the House convenes on Tuesdays and remains in session until Friday.”
This proposal comes after Jolly wrote a letter to the House Rules Committee in Sept. 2014 calling for a similar change, and requesting that while in session, workweeks run “from 8:00 a.m. on Monday until 6:00 p.m. on Friday.”
A press release on the bill stated that over the last 20 years, while Congress has been in session for about 137 days each year, the typical American works 40-hour, 5-day workweeks, and spends about 241 days at work each year.
“This ‘try-nothing’ Congress needs a reality check,” Jolly said. “A work week in Washington should be no different than a work week in every other town across the nation.”
Editor's note: This article, written by Rachel Blevins, originally published on Truth in Media on Tuesday, October 6, 2015, and has been slightly modified for publication on IVN.
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