Should Lawmakers Be Able To Hold Hearings, Debate and Vote On Legislation Virtually From Their District Offices? (thehill.com)

Applehu Akbar shares an old report raising a very good question for today's Congress: why not use today's videoconferencing tech to allow representatives to perform most Congressional activity from their home districts?" The ability to "work from home" would be especially beneficial during a government shutdown, like the one we're currently in, where money is tight and Congressional members are "sick and tired of Washington and don't want to show up anymore to vote." Slashdot reader Applehu Akbar writes: Because Congress people serve short terms and campaign largely on constituent service, they have to spend a large percentage of their time shuttling between home and Washington. Virtualizing most of their Washington presence would save fuel and energy while giving them more time with their constituents. In addition, there could be a long-term societal benefit in making Congress less vulnerable to lobbyist influence by keeping them out of the Beltway. Pearce told The Hill in a statement back in 2013: "Thanks to modern technology, members of Congress can debate, vote, and carry out their constitutional duties without having to leave the accountability and personal contact of their congressional districts. Keeping legislators closer to the people we represent would pull back Washington's curtain and allow constituents to see and feel, first-hand, their government at work. Corporations and government agencies use remote work technology; it's time that Congress does the same."

Comments

Re:Mixed feelings

[dgatwood]

We already don't need the Senate, and there are already proposals on the table to push a constitutional amendment dissolving the senate.

Oh, yes, we most certainly do. Although the senate's one-state-two-votes rule is something of an anachronism, the primary purpose for the senate is very much still valid — putting the brakes on a fickle electorate by ensuring that no more than one third of that house can change in a single election cycle.

BTW, the person asking the original question got it very wrong. The question should not be whether lawmakers should be allowed to hold hearings, debate, and vote on legislation from their districts, but rather whether they should be required to do so.

The main problem with Washington, as far as I can tell, is that lobbyists and partisan think-tanks have amazing access to legislators, while the people in their districts have almost none. As far as I'm concerned, Congress should meet for one week at the start of each legislative year, for the opening gavel and choosing people for committees to replace folks who are stepping down or who have left Congress entirely. They should meet again for the closing gavel, followed by a holiday party at the end of the year. The rest of the time, they should be required to spend at least 90% of their days in their districts, among the people they represent.

The current situation is absolute madness, and has been for some time.