BrianGarst.com

The story:

The House this session has spent time honoring Geronimo, celebrating the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s 50th anniversary, declaring country music a distinctly American art form and congratulating the Saratoga Race Course on its 142nd season.

But the days of lawmakers spending hours on such niceties are on the way out.

A leader of the House’s new Republican majority intends to end the practice of voting on such resolutions — or at least dramatically scale it back.

…”I do not suspect that Jefferson or Madison ever envisioned Congress honoring the 2,560th anniversary of the birth of Confucius or supporting the designation of National Pi Day,” said Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the next House majority leader. “I believe people want our time, energy and efforts focused on their priorities.”

I’m somewhat torn on this issue.  As a general rule, I like when Congress wastes time. The more time they waste on these kinds of bills, or stuck in partisan gridlock, the less time they can spend further destroying the economy or invading personal liberties.

That said, as a Congressional observer, I grow tired of scrolling through vote after vote of nonsensical bills to get to the important stuff.  Put less selfishly, Congress might be a tiny bit more transparent and accessible if people don’t have to weed through so much nonsense just to see what Congress is really up to.

Eric Cantor Republicans