[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 119 (Friday, July 21, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7383]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRESS SHOULD BE MORE FAMILY FRIENDLY

  (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROEMER. Madam Speaker, last night we worked here in the House of 
Representatives well past midnight, and last night is no different from 
any other night from January 4, when we went into session. Fifty-four 
percent of the time we have adjourned after 9 o'clock at night since 
January 4.
  Now, for the first 3 months we expected that. We knew working on the 
contract we would have late nights. But Speaker Gingrich said on his 
first day here on the floor, right behind me, ``We are going to set 
schedules we stick to so families can count on time together.''
  Now, Madam Speaker, the only time we see our families is when we take 
a picture of them out of our wallets and look at the frayed pictures.
  I think that we need predictable schedules. We want to work hard. We 
have been in more than 300 hours over last year at this time. We need 
predictability. Let us have one night a week that we are out by 6 p.m. 
and have it predictable. Let us roll votes, and let us make sure we 
come in and start work at 8 o'clock in the morning for 1 minutes. I 
think that is the hour that America starts to work.


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