Congress' Members-Only Gym Deemed Essential, So It Remains Open During Government Shutdown
from the out-of-touch dept
While the government shutdown continues, I’ve joked that it seems like all of the parts of the government that I think should be closed have remained open, while the parts that I actually find useful seem to have been shutdown. The whole “essential” vs. “non-essential” distinction often seems fairly arbitrary. Now, ThinkProgress has shown what may be the most ridiculous of all: the “members-only” gym for Congressional Representatives has been deemed “essential” and thus remains open. Apparently the gym for Congressional staffers is different, and that one is closed. But, of course, the Members get special treatment, and that includes having a nice clean gym while the rest of the country suffers.
A House aide confirmed to ThinkProgress that the House member’s gym is open. The House gym features a swimming pool, basketball courts, paddleball courts, a sauna, a steam room and flat screen TVs. While towel service is unavailable, taxpayers remain on the hook for cleaning and maintenance, which has been performed daily throughout the shutdown. There are also costs associated with the power required to heat the pools and keep the lights on.
According to the aide, the decision to keep the gym open — even while other critical government services were shelved — came directly from Speaker Boehner’s office. Meanwhile, the staff gym available to Congressional staff has been closed.
So in case you were wondering if the government shutdown was cutting into your Reps’ treadmill time, rest assured that your taxpayer dollars are helping to keep them in shape.
Filed Under: congress, essential, government shutdown, gym
Comments on “Congress' Members-Only Gym Deemed Essential, So It Remains Open During Government Shutdown”
But congress is sacrificing with us from this shutdown!
I mean… no towel service!!! That’s a horrible punishment for a bunch of rich spoiled congress people used to aides and servants doing that kind of stuff for them!
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.
— George Orwell, Animal Farm
Re: Re:
AH! I see it now! Your implying their pretty much swine.
Re: Re: Re:
Ouch
* you’re
* they’re
That is the very definition of a politician, avoiding the consequences of their own actions, by passing law if necessary.
Re: Re:
Not being a USian, am I correct when I understand furloughed to mean unpaid temporary leave? If so, do the politicians still get their full pay, during the shutdown, or is it like the rank and file, deferred until after…what am I saying, of course their own salaries don’t suffer any interruptions.
Re: Re: Re:
Yup, as I suspected.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/09/30/politics/shutdown-congress-staff-paid/index.html
Re: Re: Re:
Congress can’t change how they are paid only, they can write the law pass it and it needs to pass the next congress too, to be approved, this was done so congress people didn’t raise their pays to the stratosphere, which didn’t work so well for now, because the public don’t pay attention to that.
Yes their salaries don’t suffer any interruptions in this congress term anything they do however would affect the next.
Re: Re:
Don’t let them get away with it.
Replace everything they do with alternatives created by the people, reducing your dependency on their “services”, make them irrelevant, do not waste this opportunity to do it.
Observe where it affects you and find alternatives so you don’t ever again need to endure such nonsense.
I guess they should get fit for something at least.
About the government shutting down, people are looking at this in the wrong light.
This is an opportunity, this is not bad at all.
The more it extends the more you can see what was really essential and what was dead weight, what people should concentrate to create private alternatives.
Yes it may be painful in the short term but long term this is just great.
Re: Re:
The “shut down” is a cheap attempt by a minority to revoke past laws that they do not like.
If one desires a law to be revoked, they need to get a majority to support the effort and get their new law passed.
The idea that, out of all past legislation, they get to pick and choose what to fund and what to not fund is contrary to what was intended and certainly results in voter disapproval.
Possibly your post was sarcasm?
Re: Private Alternatives
Private alternatives got us into this mess. Note that the MIC has not been shut down, and that’s what is sucking up all the $$$s in the national debt.
Why?
Because none of the MIC companies works on a non-profit basis.
Gosh, this is SO techy! And what an exclusive!
It’s like The National Enquirer for geeks.
Meanwhile, this sounds LOTS more exciting:
Bald eagle terrorizes neighborhood, attacks pets…
Essential = anything needed to fleece the American people some more.
non-essential = anything the American people depends on.
Bend over
Would you want to bend over to pick up a towel with a bunch of Congressmen around?
Re: Bend over
I actually shivered when I read your comment. No joke. I really did.
Oh yeah take that!
Obama should write yet another “executive order” to shut down the gym until they put a vote on the floor.
Seriously, I bet some of the congress critters use that facility to shower.
Re: Oh yeah take that!
Well, then it’s not working, because so far they all stink!
Re: Oh yeah take that!
This might win him some points.
They have to!
How would they feed us so much bullshit if their mouths get out of shape?
The truth about Congress
As a Filipino friend said in a totally different context:
“He think his life if very precious, it is not precious to me — he may return to that vile dust from which he sprung, I do not care.”
Bet their Gym smells like dirty Ass ! and Moldy old Sneakers !
But of course
They have to be in shape so they can outrun the angry torch/pitchfork mobs when the shit hits the fan.