[Bryan]

Health care battle could extend Hutchison's Senate stay | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Granted, I'd really rather not see Hutchison as governor of Texas. But I certainly wish we'd pass laws stating that people could not campaign for an election while they were currently serving as an elected official.

[nolidad]

Originally Posted by Bryan

Health care battle could extend Hutchison's Senate stay | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Granted, I'd really rather not see Hutchison as governor of Texas. But I certainly wish we'd pass laws stating that people could not campaign for an election while they were currently serving as an elected official.

I agree if a senator, or congressperson or whatever is in office- they need to discharge the duties of that office faithfully. If it is perfectly acceptable for a senator to miss months in the senate, then maybe we don't need a full time congress and senate. Just like we had for decades. People were elected to office and spent as much time back home as they did in Washington.

However I think it may require amending the constitution to do that.

[JerryLove]

Originally Posted by nolidad

I agree if a senator, or congressperson or whatever is in office- they need to discharge the duties of that office faithfully. If it is perfectly acceptable for a senator to miss months in the senate, then maybe we don't need a full time congress and senate. Just like we had for decades. People were elected to office and spent as much time back home as they did in Washington.

Have you looked at the number of recesses congress has? Have you seen the attendance numbers when they are not in recess? I think they are already part-time.

[jthomas1600]

Originally Posted by JerryLove

Have you looked at the number of recesses congress has? Have you seen the attendance numbers when they are not in recess? I think they are already part-time.

Yet the entry level salary is $174,000. US Congress Salaries and Benefits – Salaries and Benefits of US Congress Members This is just my personal rant, but I'm sick of being governed by rich fat cats that are so far removed from the day to day struggles that the rest of us deal with. Just check out this list of the fat cats and their net worths.


Senate millionaires
John Kerry, D-Massachusetts: $163,626,399
Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin: $111,015,016
John Rockefeller, D -West Virginia: $81,648,018
Jon Corzine, D-New Jersey: $71,035,025
Dianne Feinstein, D-California: $26,377,109
Peter Fitzgerald, R-Illinois: $26,132,013
Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey $17,789,018
Bill Frist, R-Tennessee: $15,108,042
John Edwards, D-North Carolina: $12,844,029
Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts: $9,905,009
Jeff Bingaman, D-New Mexico: $7,981,015
Bob Graham, D-Florida: $7,691,052
Richard Shelby, R-Alabama: $7,085,012
Gordon Smith, R-Oregon: $6,429,011
Lincoln Chafee, R-Rhode Island: $6,296,010
Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska: $6,267,028
Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee: $4,823,018
Mike DeWine, R-Ohio: $4,308,093
Mark Dayton, D-Minnesota: $3,974,037
Ben Campbell, R-Colorado: $3,165,007
Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska: $2,963,013
Olympia Snowe, R-Maine: $2,955,037
James Talent, R-Missouri: $2,843,031
Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania: $2,045,016
Judd Gregg, R-New Hampshire: $1,916,026
John McCain, R-Arizona: $1,838,010
James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma: $1,570,043
John Warner, R-Virginia: $1,545,039
Kay Bailey Hutchison, R - Texas: $1,513,046
Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky: $1,511,017
Harry Reid, D-Nevada: $1,500,040
Sam Brownback, R-Kansas: $1,491,018
Thomas Carper, D-Delaware: $1,482,017
Ted Stevens, R-Alaska: $1,417,013
Maria Cantwell, D-Washington: $1,264,999
Barbara Boxer, D-California: $1,172,003
Orrin Hatch, R-Utah: $1,086,023
Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana: $1,080,014
Bill Nelson, D-Florida: $1,073,014
Charles Grassley, R-Iowa: $1,016,024
*These figures are base estimates provided by senators on their financial disclosure forms.

CNN.com - Millionaires populate U.S. Senate - Jun. 13, 2003

[JerryLove]

I'm not a millionare. Elect me

[TunerSteve]

Originally Posted by JerryLove

Have you looked at the number of recesses congress has? Have you seen the attendance numbers when they are not in recess? I think they are already part-time.

This explains it quite nicely.