American Notes CONGRESS

What other job pays $98,400 and allows so much free time? While most Americans spend just the Fourth of July celebrating the birth of their nation, members of Congress devote ten days to the task. They also routinely stretch weekends to three or four or even five days, especially when a holiday comes up, and will be taking off 29 days in August. They needed a 23-day break to usher in the New Year, which followed a five-week recess to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The overabundance of leisure has finally exasperated majority leader George Mitchell. When other Senators beseeched him to postpone legislative business so that they could attend their children's graduations, the annoyed Mitchell cried, "When can we vote?" On a recent Friday he scheduled a procedural vote on a motion to compel absentees to return to the Capitol. Nine failed to answer the roll call, but it could have been worse. Several Senators canceled their plane reservations at the last minute to appear at Mitchell's "bed check."