Congress says work is too hard, issues part-time job demand - The Horn News

The Horn News

Proudly American, Fiercely Independent

Congress says work is too hard, issues part-time job demand

By:

“On the Holmes Front” with Frank Holmes

Congress consistently has one of the lowest approval ratings of all professions, but that does not deter its members from demanding new perks.

Its members get most of the year off: Congress was in session only 112 days in 2022, taking roughly every third day off.

But that’s not good enough for them, according to a new letter.

Left-wing Congressional staffers say they work too hard, are stressed out, and need more time off to focus better.

Specifically, they want to work four days a week…but get paid for five.

The pampering proposal came in a letter the Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA) sent to House and Senate leaders this week.

Staffers want to work a 32-hour workweek with no reduction in pay whatsoever.

Paying staffers for not working would “improve worker satisfaction, increase staff retention in Congress, and model a more sustainable approach to work on a national level,” the letter said.

The problem, they say, is that they work too hard and care too much.

“The intensive nature of these roles often causes staffers to seek new positions earlier than they would in a more predictable and sustainable work environment,”  said the letter.

Under the proposal, staffers in the nation’s capital would get one day off per week when congressmen are out of town, and those who work in district offices back home would get a day off when the congressman is in D.C.

And everybody would get paid for working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year.

Under the latest congressional schedule, that means D.C.-based staffers would work less about one-third of the month and remote staffers would get a day off two-thirds of the month.

“Doing so — without a reduction in pay — would allow both D.C. and distinct staff to be fully available around the clock throughout more intensive periods when the Member is in town while allowing for a more sustainable schedule when workloads are more manageable,” the letter said.

The progressives’ plea for more money and less work drew outrage from members of both parties.

“You want to work 32 hours but get paid for 40? Nope,” said Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla. “The taxpayers aka your boss, deserve folks who hustle and work hard FULL TIME on their behalf. This is public service after all.”

Why should people who work for Congress get a better deal than Americans struggling under Bidenflation, asked Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga. “Most Americans work forty-plus hours a week just to pay their bills and put food on their tables. Now, progressives in Congress only want to work 32 hours for the same pay? Taxpayers already fund their salaries and benefits, and now they want to put in less work for their pay. This is the mentality of the far left, — always wanting the government to give more without earning it.”

Republicans would naturally object to the proposal, especially in the era of Elon Musk’s DOGE. But Democrats also shot down the idea.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., asked, “Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek? I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek.”

Democratic pollster John Anzalone said, “This is so tone deaf. And quite frankly, insulting to real people and constituents they represent. In politics and government you work hard for the greater good. We all make our choices, but if you want to only work 32 hours a week you need to be somewhere else.”

Most people think long hours are the price for working in the halls of power.

“Here’s the thing: you take a job on Capitol Hill knowing that you will be working long hours. The hours are lousy, the work can be mundane, you don’t get paid enough to live extravagantly in an expensive city, and your boss likely won’t thank you for your efforts. That’s called paying your dues. If you can’t hack it, feel free to join the real world where many Americans have to work multiple jobs in order to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads,” wrote Teri Christoph at RedState.com.

The left-wing group tried to push back immediately. CPSA spokesman Michael Suchecki told Politico, “CPSA is not calling for Congress to jeopardize its productivity with a new office schedule. We believe — and researchers agree — that implementing a rotating 32-hour work week will not maintain existing levels of productivity and work quality, but increase them.”

But would this proposal improve their performance? The answer seems to be no.

A Gallup poll of 12,000 people found that workers on a four-day workweek “reported higher rates of burnout compared with those who work five days per week.”

The employees revealed the problem isn’t long hours; it’s where you work.

“When it comes to overall wellbeing, the quality of the work experience has 2.5x to 3x the impact of the number of days or hours worked,” Gallup reported.

The real problem is found in another Gallup poll just released this week, which found most Americans hold Congress in contempt. 68 percent of Americans have a negative view of Members of Congerss, and only 31 percent favor them.

Congressmen are tied with lobbyists for the profession Americans hate the most.

The problem isn’t the work hours; it’s the workplace.

Congress isn’t working for these staffers, because left-wing Democratic congressmen aren’t working for us.

About the Author

Frank Holmes is a veteran journalist and an outspoken conservative that talks about the news that was in his weekly article, “On The Holmes Front.”