Evening star., 1943-03-13

at all familiar
with the duties
of a Senator or David Lawrence
Representative knows that Con-
gresham spends as much time as
he can off the floors of Congress
because he has more pressing duties
elsewhere in connection with his
public Office.
Thus, every Senator and Repre-
sentative must answer thousands of
letters from constituents. And if he
doesn't dictate personal letters or
seem to be giving personal atten-
ton to the requests that people
back home make, they-who are his
true bosses and employers-feel
that he isn't earning his salary.
The Senator and Representative
today must often go to the eXecu-
tive agencies for the information
with which to answer the requests
of his constituents. He must spend
time in his Office giving interviews
to the constituents who come to
Washington to discuss pending leg
islation.
Committee Work.
Many committees are in session
In the morning hours, and some
times these extend into the after
noon. Committee work usually takes
from 10 o'clock in the morning to
o'clock Then the Congressman
or Senator must decide whether he
will let all his Office mail 60 and
take his seat on the floor to listen
to debate or whether he will 60 to
his desk, in either the House or the
Senate Office Building, and see
callers or answer mail or look up
data in preparation for next days
committee work.
In order to keep members in
formed, the Congressional Record"
Is published. This contains every
syllable spoken on the floor Of the
Senate and House every day plus
the extension of remarks" whereby
exhibits and miscellaneous support
ing data are often printed to supple
ment oral speeches. The Record"
likewise prints excerpts from COM
mittee reports, which, for the most
part, are separately printed and
give the Congress members an op-
portunity to study the work of COM
mittees other than those of which
he may be a member.
Why should the Representative or
Senator spend his valuable time
listening to spoken words on subjects
not of direct interest to him when
he can read the same in a verbatim
record the next day? Why should
he, who has interests in an agricul-
tural State, for example. spend his
time listening to technical discus
sion on oil drilling or mining when
there may be no oil wells or mines
IN his district? He can read all he
needs to know about it in the
Record"
Roll Call or Vote?
But, 1t will be asked, should the
Senator or Representative not be
present at roll call or vote? Not
necessarily, Many a measure is
slated for passage by voice vote or
by overwhelming majority. MANY
a measure occasions little dissent.
and 1t is immaterial whether it
passes by a 50-vote majority in the
House, for instance, or by $50 votes.
The Senator and Representative
can sit IN his Office and if roll call
Is demanded he is notified by bells
that ring loudly in the corridors of
all the congressional Office buildings.
Generally speaking, he knows be-
forehand what bill is scheduled to
be voted upon each day. If it is not
a measure of concern to his district
and there is little opposition to it
and he favors it anyway, there is no
point IN attending a roll call. To
call the roll-to go from office to
the floor and then back again
sometimes consumes at least a half
hours time.
Nor is member Of Congress
guilty Of "absenteeism" if he goes
back periodically to his district to
consult his constituents.
1t is a safe assumption that if the
hours worked on his tasks and
duties as a member of the national
legislature were the criterion, there
would be a 10 per cent record for
Congress, Certainly, the members
90 not get time and -a-haf pay
ment for hours over 40 per week
and they don't get paid at all for
the many expenses they must incur
IN line Of duty in buying lunches OF
dinners for visiting constituents.
To compare the statistical record
Of roll call absences with absen-
teelsm in industry Is to smear Con-
gress and draw a smokescreen ovel
the New Deals encouragement Of ar
attitude Of responsibility on the
part of workers in industry, which is
the real cause OF absenteeism.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.
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