Your Congress At Work

[James48843]

I just wanted you all to know the hard work your United States House of Representatives did today.

To keep things lively, I plan to report the great doings within the House from time to time, to show you what our elected leaders are spending their time on.

today, for instance, they started work at:

12:30 P.M. - The Speaker designated the Honorable Donna F. Edwards to act as Speaker pro tempore for today. The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

then they promptly went into recess:

12:31 P.M. - MORNING-HOUR DEBATES - The House proceeded with Morning-Hour Debates. At the conclusion of Morning-Hour, the House will recess until 2:00 p.m. for the start of legislative business.

(They go to recess more than my elementary age child, by the way. Lots of recess must be healthy for them.

They came back from recess at 2 pm. )

Actually, it ran until 2:15 before they really started talking.

First item of business today, while the economy fell, and Rome burned, was this gem.


"H.R. 210- Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance"

They debated that puppy until 2:33 pm.

Then they moved on to more important business:


"H. Res. 222 (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/lgwww_bill.pl?100222): congratulating the National Assessment Governing Board on its 20th Anniversary in measuring student academic achievement "


That took them until 2:45 to debate.

Then, they went to work on a REAL hard issue:

At 2:45- it was:

"2:45 P.M. - DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 131 (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/lgwww_bill.pl?200131).to establish the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission, in honor of the 100th birthday of Ronald Regan. "
Then-

at 2:56pm.- it was time again for Recess.


They came back in from Recess at 6:30, then proceeded to vote on the day's work. It took 47 minutes- until 7:17 pm, to do three votes.

1. BILL TITLE: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance


Yeas (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll110.xml#Y)Nays (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll110.xml#N)PRES NV (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll110.xml#NV) Democratic 231 22
Republican152 11 15
Independent

TOTALS Yeas: 383 Nays: 113 Not Voting: 7
2. BILL TITLE: Congratulating the National Assessment Governing Board on its 20th Anniversary in measuring student academic achievement


Yeas (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll111.xml#Y)Nays (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll111.xml#N)PRES (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll111.xml#P)NV (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll111.xml#NV) Yeas: Democratic 232 Nays: 12 Not Voting: 0
Republican156 9 13
Independent

TOTALS Yeas: 388 Nays: 91 Not Voting: 33


3. QUESTION: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended
BILL TITLE: Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act


Ayes (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll112.xml#Y)Noes (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll112.xml#N)PRES (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll112.xml#P)NV (http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll112.xml#NV) Democratic Yeas:211 Nays: 17 Present:1 NotVoting: 24 Republican Yeas: 160 Nays: 2 Pres: NotVoting:16


TOTALS Yeas: 371 Nays: 19 Present: 1 Not Voting: 40


Then, they all went home.


Another day in Congress, while the stock markets tank, the banks fall apart, and the deficient continues to climb.

That's it from Washington D.C. today.

Sleep well, America,

Your Congress is at work.

[Viva_La_Migra]

They take so many recesses, so they can meet with lobbyists and campaign donors! You don't expect them to get re-elected by actually helping the American people, do you? I'm just happy they haven't taken away my right to own guns...yet.

I like a do nothing Congress. They're not taking away my rights or taxing me more when they do nothing but petty bullensheise like you've described!:blink:

[roskopfm]

Dont foreget they spend all that time figuring out how to get their pet projects in bills and patting themselves on the back over and over again. Look they just passed the bill yesterday loaded with 7000plus pork projects and Obama plans on signing it. He and the democrats are no different that Bush and the repulblicans. Neither care about this country.

[James48843]

You Congress wasn't in session today. They normally don't work on Fridays-

But yesterday, they DID have a bill they voted on.

It passed, 391 to 10.

Here is the bill our House of Representatives passed yesterday. (Now on to the Senate! )

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Whereas the Greek letter (Pi) is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter;

(Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House)


HRES 224 EH
H. Res. 224
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
March 12, 2009.


Whereas the Greek letter (Pi) is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter;



Whereas the ratio Pi is an irrational number, which will continue infinitely without repeating, and has been calculated to over one trillion digits;

Whereas Pi is a recurring constant that has been studied throughout history and is central in mathematics as well as science and engineering;

Whereas mathematics and science are a critical part of our children's education, and children who perform better in math and science have higher graduation and college attendance rates;

Whereas aptitude in mathematics, science, and engineering is essential for a knowledge-based society;

Whereas, according to the 2007 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) survey done by the National Center for Education Statistics, American children in the 4th and 8th grade were outperformed by students in other countries including Taiwan, Singapore, Russia, England, South Korea, Latvia, and Japan;

Whereas since 1995 the United States has shown only minimal improvement in math and science test scores;

Whereas by the 8th grade, American males outperform females on the science portion of the TIMSS survey, especially in Biology, Physics, and Earth Science, and the lowest American scores in math and science are found in minority and impoverished school districts;

Whereas America needs to reinforce mathematics and science education for all students in order to better prepare our children for the future and in order to compete in a 21st Century economy;

Whereas the National Science Foundation has been driving innovation in math and science education at all levels from elementary through graduate education since its creation 59 years ago;

Whereas mathematics and science can be a fun and interesting part of a child's education, and learning about Pi can be an engaging way to teach children about geometry and attract them to study science and mathematics; and

Whereas Pi can be approximated as 3.14, and thus March 14, 2009, is an appropriate day for `National Pi Day':


Now, therefore, be it


Resolved, That the House of Representatives--





(1) supports the designation of a `Pi Day' and its celebration around the world;







(2) recognizes the continuing importance of National Science Foundation's math and science education programs; and







(3) encourages schools and educators to observe the day with appropriate activities that teach students about Pi and engage them about the study of mathematics.



Attest:
Clerk.
---------------------
( Our United States Congress at work. You can't make this stuff up, honest.)


6043

[alevin]

And how many days over how many millenia has civilization survived and taught children about Pi and other complex math w/o a National PI Day? Good Lord save us from ourselves. I'm ready to vote for term limits. Finally.

[James48843]

Congress fiddled, while the nation burned.....


http://images.townnews.com/svherald.com/content/articles/2009/01/28/blogs/the_grindstone/doc497ffc78bc24c728173717.jpg

[Viva_La_Migra]

You Congress wasn't in session today. They normally don't work on Fridays-

Has the Congress EVER worked since the Continental Congress? I'm skeptical.

Pi is cool...Dutch Apple Pi...A la mode!:D

[James48843]

Your House of Representatives came to work today at 12:30.

They worked until adjorning at 9:48 p.m.

Today, they accomplished this:

They named three post offices.

Nothing else.

==============================

H.R. 1284 (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/lgwww_bill.pl?201284): to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 West Main Street in McLain, Mississippi, as the "Major Ed W. Freeman Post Office"
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 384 - 0



H.R. 1217 (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/lgwww_bill.pl?201217): to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the "Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building"


On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 384 - 0 (Roll no. 126) (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2009&rollnumber=126).


H.R. 987 (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/lgwww_bill.pl?200987): to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 8th Street in Freedom, Pennsylvania, as the "John Scott Challis, Jr. Post Office"

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 384 - 0 (Roll no. 125) (http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2009&rollnumber=125).
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That's what your U.S. House of Representatives did today.

[James48843]

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