Today’s WSJ brings an important clarification on Nancy Pelosi’s newly instituted ban on smoking near the floor of the House, which Representatives had been permitted to do, despite a District-wide ban on smoking in the workplace:
But Congress often exempts itself from the law. Unlike most other employees, members of Congress are exempt from laws governing maternity leave. They may also carry guns on the Capitol grounds, despite a District-wide ban.
This gives me an idea: Should anyone try to violate the smoking ban, Pelosi can threaten to shoot them. That tactic also might be useful when it comes to asking for maternity leave.
In other Hill news, C-SPAN viewers just enjoyed the spectacle of Rep. Barney Frank (serving as substitute House Speaker) schooling a newbie congressman on how, exactly, to interrupt him: “Comments on the past behavior of the Speaker might be interesting but they are not points of order!”
Good times.