Working 9 to 5

Shock waves have hit the House of Representatives - not because Nancy Pelosi will soon be Speaker, but because Steny Hoyer has decided to impose a five day work week:

Forget the minimum wage. Or outsourcing jobs overseas. The labor issue most on the minds of members of Congress yesterday was their own: They will have to work five days a week starting in January.

The horror.

Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, the Maryland Democrat who will become House majority leader and is writing the schedule for the next Congress, said members should expect longer hours than the brief week they have grown accustomed to.

"I have bad news for you," Hoyer told reporters. "Those trips you had planned in January, forget 'em. We will be working almost every day in January, starting with the 4th."

The reporters groaned. "I know, it's awful, isn't it?" Hoyer empathized.

For lawmakers, it is awful, compared with what they have come to expect. For much of this election year, the legislative week started late Tuesday and ended by Thursday afternoon -- and that was during the relatively few weeks the House wasn't in recess.

Next year, members of the House will be expected in the Capitol for votes each week by 6:30 p.m. Monday and will finish their business about 2 p.m. Friday, Hoyer said.

To be fair, for Hoyer to visit home during his off days and still get back in time for this new schedule, it's not such a big deal. Maryland is right next door to Washington DC. But for many representatives, getting home will be tough once there, they won't be able to stay long. Imagine having to commute to the West Coast on that schedule.

Frankly, the less the House works the happier I am. There's nothing better for tax rates than a Congress in recess.