Lousy food, low pay ... Democrat lawmakers testify (gripe) about working on Capitol Hill
While not doing the peoples work, Wasserman Schultz (D) complains about having to pay for tampons.
By Chad Pergram - Published March 05, 2016 - FoxNews.com
Capitol Hill is a terrible place to work -- That’s the lasting impression one might have after listening to lawmakers this week discussing the budget for Congress at a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing.
Here are some of complaints and concerns the lawmakers debated at the session:
-- Low wages for aides
-- How crummy and expensive the food is in the cafeterias.
-- The vulnerability of House garages to a terrorism attack.
- How security precautions make it a pain for staff to navigate the workplace.
-- The need to update the electronic voting system in the House chamber (Keep in mind that an accurate tabulation of voting on the House is the quintessence of the entire enterprise).
-- Nobody knowing how many lawmakers carry firearms into the Capitol complex, perhaps increasing safety risks.
-- The convenience store in the Longworth House Office Building and in women’s restrooms.
-- Whether women should be charged for the aforementioned feminine hygiene products in the House.
Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the top Democrat on the Legislative Branch Appropriations panel and chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, posed multiple questions to acting House Chief Administrative Officer Bill Plaster at the hearing about the availability of tampons and sanitary napkins.
“When you need a feminine hygiene product, you need one. Immediately,” lectured Wasserman Schultz. “For the convenience store to stop stocking products like that is really inconvenient. It’s the opposite of the purpose of a convenience store.”
She even showed Plaster a photo of out-of-order signs slung across feminine hygiene dispensaries around the Capitol.
Multiple (female) congressional sources indicated that many of the machines hadn’t carried the appropriate products in about a year. And when supply was on hand, the product was described as outdated.
Moreover, Wasserman Schultz groused that women shouldn’t have to pay the required 25 cents when in need.
“It’s like charging for toilet paper,” she protested, then she didn’t “want to go into too much detail” about the issue.
Plaster responded that the vendor “has responded with additional stock,” Wasserman Schultz pointedly retorted the new supply was “insufficient.”
Still, Capitol Hill, with its marble floors and magnificently landscaped grounds, is for many a desirable place to work.
The time-off, include long winter and summer recesses, for example, help compensate for the wages. And for many, the opportunity to work in arguably the world’s most powerful legislative body is a huge stepping stone for future endeavors.
A few years ago, Congress trimmed the overall spending it allocates for itself. This was an effort to “lead by example.” Plus, it looked like good politics back home -- even if constituents received less from the members they elected.
The cuts hit Capitol Hill hard -- putting a squeeze on congressional salaries and the ability to retain good people. The total reductions only amounted to $362 million. That’s a big impact internally but barely a dent when the federal government inches close to spending $4 trillion annually and runs a $19 trillion debt.
Legislative branch spending climbed to $4.36 billion in the latest spending measure. That’s a $1.5 billion increase over the previous year but still below what Congress allocated for Capitol Hill operations seven years ago.
“It means having to let people go,” said Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., told Plaster that “any restoration” of money to the accounts lawmakers use to pay staff and run their offices “would be helpful.”
Last year, the House switched vendors for dining services in its cafeterias. The old vendor, Restaurant Associates, still runs Senate eateries as well as those in the Capitol Visitor’s Center.
French food services provider Sodexo succeeded Restaurant Associates in the House. That sparked an immediate outcry from the Capitol Hill community. The food wasn’t as good. Prices were higher. There wasn’t as much variety.
Wasserman Schultz said it was “pretty bad” when the dining discord prompted an article late last year in the New York Times. She also questioned how some lower-rung aides could survive while paying them such paltry salaries.
“After paying for rent and eating in the House cafeteria, we’re lucky we can keep anyone on staff,” she complained. “It’s costing them an arm and a leg to eat.”
Clerk of the House Karen Haas told lawmakers the electronic voting cards lawmakers use during roll call votes are so outdated that an outside company makes them specifically for Congress.
She added that the voting system in the House chamber needs rewiring soon -- a project which involves digging under the floor of the chamber. Moreover, Haas said Braille type must be added to voting stations sprinkled around the chamber for visually impaired lawmakers.
Security has long been paramount on Capitol Hill.
But a lingering problem involves the risks terrorists could pose to congressional garages across the street from the Capitol beneath the House office buildings.
The garages are not what is known as “clean,” meaning aides and lawmakers can drive in, then move into the office buildings without ever clearing security.
Individuals entering on foot pass through magnetometers. Inspecting every car and screening workers offsite would create catastrophic delays and traffic jams around Capitol Hill.
So, the U.S. Capitol Police operates with a lower level of security in the House office buildings. Persons going through the underground tunnels to the Capitol itself from the office complex are screened at checkpoints located there.
Of late, magnetometers recently showed up in the Longworth garage in an effort to bolster security. But the Rayburn garage still lacks the equipment.
At the hearing, Wasserman Schultz later took aim at House Sergeant at Arms Paul Irving. She suggested the appropriations committee never signed off on implementing the additional security measures. Other lawmakers see it differently, adding that the Appropriations Committee, which controls the purse strings, in fact allocated funds properly.
Wasserman Schultz hectored Irving with queries about who gave him the go-ahead to install the magnetometers. Irving said he took “responsibility,” later adding he did so in concert with the Speaker’s Office and House Administration Committee.
“I don’t think I’m getting responses to my questions,” Wasserman Schultz protested, in apparent exasperation.
Irving said the House garages carry “tremendous vulnerabilities to us.”
Wasserman Schultz responded by saying that terrorists weren’t stupid since the magnetometers were installed in only one garage. She said terrorists would simply “go to the garage that’s not secure.”
Sam Farr piped up. He suggested the extra screening was “an affront to staff.”
“We’re building an empire on the Hill,” he said.
The California Democrat then asked if Irving knew how many lawmakers arm themselves when they walk through the Capitol. By statute, lawmakers are allowed to pack heat at the Capitol and are not required to go through security screening.
Staff and visitors cannot carry firearms at the Capitol complex.
“We don’t know that number,” Irving replied.
Farr argued it was a fairness issue and that lawmakers shouldn’t be allowed to carry guns at work -- especially if they were trying to “lead by example.”
There also concern the Capitol could join the long list of venues that have experienced deadly, workplace violence -- just like Fort Hood, the Washington Navy Yard and San Bernardino.
Under such a nightmare scenario, there are questions as to whether lawmakers carrying their own guns could make a nightmarish shootout even more volatile if they started to fire their own weapons -- in addition to U.S. Capitol Police officers. Would extra firepower help neutralize a situation or contribute to “friendly fire” injuries or deaths?
Physical security isn’t the only concern at the Capitol. So too is cybersecurity.
Plaster told lawmakers that hackers pose a constant threat.
“They’re not knocking at the front door anymore,” he said.
Plaster says that the House has about 12,000 people on its network, receiving some 200 million emails a year. He estimates that about one-third of all email traffic received is an effort to bore into the House computer system.
And with so many emails and so many users, it’s challenging to harden those defenses.
So if you want to understand Congress and its internal operations, look at Legislative Branch appropriations. That could shed light into how lawmakers tackle issues ranging from ISIS to health care to the economy. It also says a lot about what it’s like to work on Capitol Hill.
Hardly a week goes by without a report demonstrating that Congressional approval ratings are in the tank.
Those are polls that study the performance of lawmakers. And one wonders if aides who toil on Capitol Hill would rate Congress much higher.
Fox News? Everyone knows that they are a far right network,
Dismissed.
Fox News? Everyone knows that they are a far right network,
Dismissed.
_________________________________________________________________________
Only the far-left zealots believe your crap keller. A bi-partisan sampling of The American People says otherwise:
Poll: Fox News Most Trusted Source for ‘News or Commentary’
by Sam Reisman | 7:01 pm, February 17th, 2016
http://www.mediaite.com/online/poll-fox-news-most-trusted-source-for-news-or-commentary/
A new Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Wednesday found that Fox was the most trusted source for television “news or commentary.”
Out of a total 1,000 respondents, 27.5 percent opted for Fox as their most trusted source — over twice as many as the second-most trusted source, CNN. (Nearly one-quarter of respondents were undecided.)
The poll also included questions about respondents’ age, religion, and political affiliations. Roughly one-third of respondents identified as Democrat and one-third as Republican. The poll indicated that religious and conservative people were well represented in the sample set: Over 54 percent of respondents said that religion was “very important” to them and 24 percent “somewhat important,” Forty-five percent of respondents were 50 years of age or older (over 50 percent were under 50), and over 69 percent were white.
Poll data: http://www.suffolk.edu/documents/SUPRC/2_17_2016_marginals.pdf
Wasserman-Schultz is done at The DNC. The elite democrats want her out. Obama kept her on because as he says “she is a fire-brand”. That will end in November. Obama will no longer be relevant.
Maybe Congress will honor her by naming the feminine hygiene product dispensers after her.
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
__________________________________________________________________________
Excellent!
It is good to know that some folks on the left are finally realizing that the information they have been receiving has been filtered through the liberal media and that the facts, as reported by Fox News and other fair and balanced news services, gives them a far more informed and factual source.
Anyone notice that the "who is more owned by Wall Street" fight blew up last night at the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders "debate"?
The liberals line has been the Republicans are controlled by Wall Street. Apparently not based in the democrats debate.
Wasserman Schultz is owned by Wall Street as is Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has a lot of fun with that last night.
Even better, can anyone name one legislative initiative by the democrats that addresses the two most important issues facing our country being National Security and the economy?
Nothing?
Exactly my point.
Whining about their working conditions seems to be all the democrats have.
[Edited on 3/7/2016 by Muleman1994]
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
__________________________________________________________________________
Excellent!
It is good to know that some folks on the left are finally realizing that the information they have been receiving has been filtered through the liberal media and that the facts, as reported by Fox News and other fair and balanced news services, gives them a far more informed and factual source.
Anyone notice that the "who is more owned by Wall Street" fight blew up last night at the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders "debate"?
The liberals line has been the Republicans are controlled by Wall Street. Apparently not based in the democrats debate.
Wasserman Schultz is owned by Wall Street as is Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has a lot of fun with that last night.
Even better, can anyone name one legislative initiative by the democrats that addresses the two most important issues facing our country being National Security and the economy?
Nothing?
Exactly my point.
Whining about their working conditions seems to be all the democrats have.
[Edited on 3/7/2016 by Muleman1994]
It's very clear you don't like women and are totally clueless about matters of feminine hygiene.
Trump claims Fox News is corrupt and right now he represents the right. Case closed!
Bernie claims Wall Street controls the entire system which includes both parties.
That you would ask the question about National Security and Economy after what has transpired on the Republican Debate stage night after night demonstrates how really detached from reality you are.
he can still get his Rogaine tax free, so who cares. 😛
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
__________________________________________________________________________
Excellent!
It is good to know that some folks on the left are finally realizing that the information they have been receiving has been filtered through the liberal media and that the facts, as reported by Fox News and other fair and balanced news services, gives them a far more informed and factual source.
Anyone notice that the "who is more owned by Wall Street" fight blew up last night at the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders "debate"?
The liberals line has been the Republicans are controlled by Wall Street. Apparently not based in the democrats debate.
Wasserman Schultz is owned by Wall Street as is Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has a lot of fun with that last night.
Even better, can anyone name one legislative initiative by the democrats that addresses the two most important issues facing our country being National Security and the economy?
Nothing?
Exactly my point.
Whining about their working conditions seems to be all the democrats have.
[Edited on 3/7/2016 by Muleman1994]
It's very clear you don't like women and are totally clueless about matters of feminine hygiene.
Trump claims Fox News is corrupt and right now he represents the right. Case closed!
Bernie claims Wall Street controls the entire system which includes both parties.
That you would ask the question about National Security and Economy after what has transpired on the Republican Debate stage night after night demonstrates how really detached from reality you are.
Apparently you have difficulty detecting sarcasm.
Not sure why this is important news. If you are trying to make it sound like only Democrats on Capitol Hill complain about working conditions or pay, maybe you'll enjoy this article about multi-millionaire Phil Gingrey - Republican from Georgia, complaining about only making $172,000 per year:
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/report-phil-gingrey-gripes-172k-salary-097062
Or video of Sean Duffy - Republican from Wisconsin complaining about only making $174,000 per year:
Or Republican Steve Sutherland of Florida complaining about his $174,000 per year:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/26/steve-southerland-congress-salary_n_938388.html
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
__________________________________________________________________________
Excellent!
It is good to know that some folks on the left are finally realizing that the information they have been receiving has been filtered through the liberal media and that the facts, as reported by Fox News and other fair and balanced news services, gives them a far more informed and factual source.
Anyone notice that the "who is more owned by Wall Street" fight blew up last night at the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders "debate"?
The liberals line has been the Republicans are controlled by Wall Street. Apparently not based in the democrats debate.
Wasserman Schultz is owned by Wall Street as is Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has a lot of fun with that last night.
Even better, can anyone name one legislative initiative by the democrats that addresses the two most important issues facing our country being National Security and the economy?
Nothing?
Exactly my point.
Whining about their working conditions seems to be all the democrats have.
[Edited on 3/7/2016 by Muleman1994]
It's very clear you don't like women and are totally clueless about matters of feminine hygiene.
Trump claims Fox News is corrupt and right now he represents the right. Case closed!
Bernie claims Wall Street controls the entire system which includes both parties.
That you would ask the question about National Security and Economy after what has transpired on the Republican Debate stage night after night demonstrates how really detached from reality you are.
_________________________________________________________________________
Interesting way you change the subject to avoid the actual issue.
I’m glad you agree that the democrats have nothing to offer and continue to collect a paycheck for doing exactly that, nothing.
It is fun to watch liberals arguing about lying:
Maher, Debbie Wasserman Shultz spar over Obama 'lie'
By Lucy McCalmont - 11/02/13 12:40 PM EDT
Liberal comedian Bill Maher pressed Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Friday night about whether President Barack Obama had lied about people being able to keep their coverage under Obamacare, telling her the president had lost credibility.
“Obama had a great, I would say, almost sterling reputation for honesty…but I just think that credibility to a certain extent, that ship has sailed,” Maher said on his HBO program “Real Time with Bill Maher.”
Wasserman Schultz dismissed claims that Obama misled Americans.
“It was not a lie, let’s just be very clear. So let me knock that down right away,” Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said. “When the president and myself and every other Democrat that talked about that if you like your health care, you can keep it, that was referring to the overwhelming majority of Americans who had health care.”
Maher, who criticized the president earlier this week for lying, pushed back and argued that plans — albeit “crappy”— were being canceled under the new law.
“C’mon, let’s be honest. Obamacare says, basically, if you have a really crappy plan, you can’t keep it. That’s the truth,” Maher said. “But some people want crap, what can I say? And because of Obamcare, they are not being able to keep it. To me, that is a lie.”
Wasserman Schultz acknowledged “there was a minimum floor of benefits” so that Americans aren’t “all paying, at the end of the day, for everybody else’s health care.”
She called the debate over whether Obama lied as “arguing over minutiae,” a point Maher pounced on.
“To a lot of Americans, it’s not minutiae and I think they’re insulted when [they] hear [you] say that because they think it’s something important when the president doesn’t square up with them,” Maher said.
About 5 percent, or 14 million, of those covered - Americans who buy their own plans - could lose them under Obamacare.
Democrat Calls for Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Resign from DNC
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
__________________________________________________________________________
Excellent!
It is good to know that some folks on the left are finally realizing that the information they have been receiving has been filtered through the liberal media and that the facts, as reported by Fox News and other fair and balanced news services, gives them a far more informed and factual source.
Anyone notice that the "who is more owned by Wall Street" fight blew up last night at the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders "debate"?
The liberals line has been the Republicans are controlled by Wall Street. Apparently not based in the democrats debate.
Wasserman Schultz is owned by Wall Street as is Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has a lot of fun with that last night.
Even better, can anyone name one legislative initiative by the democrats that addresses the two most important issues facing our country being National Security and the economy?
Nothing?
Exactly my point.
Whining about their working conditions seems to be all the democrats have.
[Edited on 3/7/2016 by Muleman1994]
It's very clear you don't like women and are totally clueless about matters of feminine hygiene.
Trump claims Fox News is corrupt and right now he represents the right. Case closed!
Bernie claims Wall Street controls the entire system which includes both parties.
That you would ask the question about National Security and Economy after what has transpired on the Republican Debate stage night after night demonstrates how really detached from reality you are.
_________________________________________________________________________
Interesting way you change the subject to avoid the actual issue.
I’m glad you agree that the democrats have nothing to offer and continue to collect a paycheck for doing exactly that, nothing.
The dominant issue in your posts here is the disparagement of women using words like "whining" and "griping" when women are doing little more than asking for civilized conditions to work in. All I read in your posts is a sexist ahole trying to be a man by belittling women. End of discussion.
Fox News? Everyone knows that they are a far right network,
Dismissed.
_________________________________________________________________________
Only the far-left zealots believe your crap keller. A bi-partisan sampling of The American People says otherwise:
Poll: Fox News Most Trusted Source for ‘News or Commentary’
A "poll" regarding "trustworthiness" is not an accurate gauge of bias and factuality.
Lousy food, low pay...
Throw in irregularity and you've described my life.
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
__________________________________________________________________________
Excellent!
It is good to know that some folks on the left are finally realizing that the information they have been receiving has been filtered through the liberal media and that the facts, as reported by Fox News and other fair and balanced news services, gives them a far more informed and factual source.
Anyone notice that the "who is more owned by Wall Street" fight blew up last night at the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders "debate"?
The liberals line has been the Republicans are controlled by Wall Street. Apparently not based in the democrats debate.
Wasserman Schultz is owned by Wall Street as is Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has a lot of fun with that last night.
Even better, can anyone name one legislative initiative by the democrats that addresses the two most important issues facing our country being National Security and the economy?
Nothing?
Exactly my point.
Whining about their working conditions seems to be all the democrats have.
[Edited on 3/7/2016 by Muleman1994]
It's very clear you don't like women and are totally clueless about matters of feminine hygiene.
Trump claims Fox News is corrupt and right now he represents the right. Case closed!
Bernie claims Wall Street controls the entire system which includes both parties.
That you would ask the question about National Security and Economy after what has transpired on the Republican Debate stage night after night demonstrates how really detached from reality you are.
_________________________________________________________________________
Interesting way you change the subject to avoid the actual issue.
I’m glad you agree that the democrats have nothing to offer and continue to collect a paycheck for doing exactly that, nothing.
The dominant issue in your posts here is the disparagement of women using words like "whining" and "griping" when women are doing little more than asking for civilized conditions to work in. All I read in your posts is a sexist ahole trying to be a man by belittling women. End of discussion.
________________________________________________________________________
Of course that is the way you see things. As a member of the class warfare and identity politics club you see everything in that way.
"whining" and "griping" is a trait of both men and women son.
Man up boy.
Fox News? Everyone knows that they are a far right network,
Dismissed.
_________________________________________________________________________
Only the far-left zealots believe your crap keller. A bi-partisan sampling of The American People says otherwise:
Poll: Fox News Most Trusted Source for ‘News or Commentary’
Especially when the poll he uses said that only 27.5% thought that Fox News was the most trustworthy. 27.5%. That means that many conservatives don't agree that they are trustworthy. You know, since, according to muleboy, the majority of americans are conservatives. 😛
Thank you for sharing this very important and informative news story. I feel much more informed about the state of the country and world affairs now.
__________________________________________________________________________
Excellent!
It is good to know that some folks on the left are finally realizing that the information they have been receiving has been filtered through the liberal media and that the facts, as reported by Fox News and other fair and balanced news services, gives them a far more informed and factual source.
Anyone notice that the "who is more owned by Wall Street" fight blew up last night at the Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders "debate"?
The liberals line has been the Republicans are controlled by Wall Street. Apparently not based in the democrats debate.
Wasserman Schultz is owned by Wall Street as is Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders has a lot of fun with that last night.
Even better, can anyone name one legislative initiative by the democrats that addresses the two most important issues facing our country being National Security and the economy?
Nothing?
Exactly my point.
Whining about their working conditions seems to be all the democrats have.
[Edited on 3/7/2016 by Muleman1994]
It's very clear you don't like women and are totally clueless about matters of feminine hygiene.
Trump claims Fox News is corrupt and right now he represents the right. Case closed!
Bernie claims Wall Street controls the entire system which includes both parties.
That you would ask the question about National Security and Economy after what has transpired on the Republican Debate stage night after night demonstrates how really detached from reality you are.
_________________________________________________________________________
Interesting way you change the subject to avoid the actual issue.
I’m glad you agree that the democrats have nothing to offer and continue to collect a paycheck for doing exactly that, nothing.
The dominant issue in your posts here is the disparagement of women using words like "whining" and "griping" when women are doing little more than asking for civilized conditions to work in. All I read in your posts is a sexist ahole trying to be a man by belittling women. End of discussion.
________________________________________________________________________
Of course that is the way you see things. As a member of the class warfare and identity politics club you see everything in that way.
"whining" and "griping" is a trait of both men and women son.
Man up boy.
True enough. Muleboy gripes and whines all day. 😛
