Congress is doing nothing at record pace

WASHINGTON — Many say we have a do-nothing Congress, but Albert Pujols should no longer be one of them.

The St. Louis Cardinals slugger was honored by the House Government Reform Committee, which Thursday moved with alacrity to approve H. Res. 626, commending Pujols for receiving "18 of 32 first-place votes to capture the MVP title" for the National League in 2005.

The panel could not tarry. It also had to approve H. Res. 627, congratulating St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter for winning the National League's Cy Young Award after posting "a 21-5 record while also achieving career highs in E.R.A., strikeouts, innings pitched, completed games and shutouts."

Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., noted that lawmakers were missing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Washington Nationals' new ballpark. "Some of us have passed up the opportunity to be there to conduct the people's business," he said.

The people needed the committee to approve H. Res. 753, commending "American craft brewers," and H. Con. Res. 399, recognizing "the 30th anniversary of the victory of United States winemakers at the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting."

Before the lawmakers could adjourn, the people demanded that they name four post offices and declare Congress' support for "the goals and ideals of National Passport Month" (H. Res. 327), "National Tourism Week" (H. Res. 729) and "National Children and Families Day" (H. Res. 763).

The committee's ranking Democrat, Henry Waxman, of California, said all these measures will "give us some opportunity on the House floor to do some business in a session that has been noted for the very few bills that have really been considered in the short period of time in which members have been required to actually work."

That was low — but fairly accurate. If the current lethargy continues, Congress this year will do even less than Harry Truman's famous "do-nothing" Congress of 1947-48.

The House was in session 30 days in the first four months of this year, for a total of 206 hours. At that rate, this will be the most slothful House since 1947, when the government started keeping such records. And summer vacation is coming.

The Senate, according to the Congressional Record, has been more energetic (48 days in session this year). But the output of both chambers — 275 measures passed in the first four months of 2006 — puts the current session of Congress on pace to turn in the least-active session since records began.

As the Government Reform Committee was meeting, Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, D-Texas, was on the House floor. "This year, our Science Academy ranked 11th and our Health Professions High School ranked 91st," he intoned. "My heart swells with pride."

House Republicans tried to ban the commemorative resolutions a decade ago, but lawmakers inevitably discovered loopholes. And Davis, who prefers more substantive pursuits (he also had a hearing Thursday on Hurricane Katrina contracting), finds most of the frivolity is under his committee's jurisdiction.

On Thursday, the panel honored the American Jewish Committee at the request of Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and "brave law-enforcement personnel" at the request of Rep. Joel Hefley, R-Colo. A resolution by Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., celebrating the "entrepreneurial traditions" of breweries prompted Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., to seek a resolution recalling the "historical significance" of the 1976 wine-tasting triumph.

"Mr. Chairman, what year was that wine tasting?" inquired a skeptical Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind.

"That was the historic wine tasting of 1976," Davis repeated.

And there were post-office namings. Davis and his team determined that postal facilities would be named for the late Robert Lynn ("the longest-serving mayor in the United States"), for Morris W. Milton (fought for "the promotion of more African Americans to prominent administrative jobs in the Pinellas County School Board"), for retiring Rep. Lane Evans, D-Ill., and for Matthew Lyon ("dedicated much of his life to Vermont politics").

The resolutions sailed through the committee without a single objection, proving this Congress is more than busy. It's collegial, too.