Wednesday, March 2

Each week the Sergeant-at-Arms desk is staffed by a page.  Today the page supposed to be doing it was sick so I filled in for him.  Next week, I'll be at the desk.  All I have to do is wait for notes to come through the front door and ding the east or west bell depending on whether it's for an odd desk or an even desk.  The rest of the time I sit there and wait for a tiny light on the desk to light up which alerts me of a call coming through to the desk.  That doesn't happen very often.

This morning the House passed HF 290, HF 322, and HF 328.  Just click on them and read the title to see what they're about.

An amendment proposed by a Democrat this morning was declared not germane (not relating to the subject of the bill).  However, the Rules of the House (which state that amendments must be germane) can be suspended if 51 reps vote to do so.  If an amendment proposed by the Republicans is declared not germane, the Republicans have enough votes to suspend the rules, and they always do.  But, when the Democrats have a not-germane amendment and want to suspend the rules, the Republicans never let it pass.  Does this seem at all partisan?  It would be very frustrating.