Monday, December 7, 1998

Five-day week shocks lawmakers

By Scripps Howard News Service / Dale McFeatters

In part because of his inefficiency as speaker -- essential work often did not get finished on deadline -- the House forced out Newt Gingrich and chose, as his successor, Bob Livingston. In an unfortunate comparison with Mussolini, it was said of Livingston that he would "make the trains run on time."

The lawmakers greeted Livingston's first reform with shock and dismay: a five-day work week.

Under Speaker Newt, the House worked three-day weeks, punctuated by long "district work periods" ("vacations" to the rest of us). Not much got done, but the members grew to like the lethargic schedule.

Led by Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga., 66 Republicans have petitioned Livingston to keep the three-day week.

Kingston insists that House members have to get back to their districts to know what their constituents are thinking, "to come back home, drive the car pool, meet the plumber, do all those earthly things constituents have to do."

Washington has both car pools and plumbers and, besides, by putting in a full, five-day work week when they'd rather be somewhere else, the lawmakers will know exactly how their constituents feel.