Congress Ditches the Five-Day Workweek

When Democrats seized the majority in Congress, the world turned upside down. One of the big changes instituted was a requirement that the House actually work five days each week. As the Washington Post reported:

Hoyer and other Democratic leaders say they are trying to repair the image of Congress, which was so anemic this year it could not meet a basic duty: to approve spending bills that fund government. By the time the gavel comes down on the 109th Congress on Friday, members will have worked a total of 103 days. That's seven days fewer than the infamous "Do-Nothing Congress" of 1948.

Well, it hasn't turned out all that well. The House and Senate are still unable to pass the basic appropriations bills to fund the government--more than two months after the start of the new fiscal year. And now, House Democrats have decided not only to ditch the five-day work week for the year ahead, but to actually work fewer days than normal. According to Roll Call:

House Democrats have circulated a draft 2008 legislative calendar and vote schedule, reflecting a somewhat lighter workload that is traditional in an election year...

According to the draft, the House would be scheduled for just three five-day workweeks next year--one each in March, June and August.

The surprising thing here is that the 5-day workweek generally extends from Monday at 6:30 pm to Friday around 2:00. A 3-day workweek runs from Tuesday evening through Thursday.

Do Democrats really anticipate accomplishing so little next year?