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... When Newt Gingrich became speaker in 1995, he shortened the congressional work week to roughly three days so that members would have more time in their districts " and so they could spend more time fundraising for re-election.
An illustration of a donkey and an elephant facing opposite directions.
Alicia Zheng/NPR
Jim McDermott, D-Wash., who served from 1989 to 2017, said it completely transformed the culture.
"We didn't get barbecues together, we didn't do any of the things that used to happen on the weekends to make it a community and make compromises easier," he said. "You have to know somebody a little bit before you trust them, and getting to know somebody is not just on the floor listening to speeches, for heaven's sakes. It's watching them deal with their kids. It's how fair they are on the basketball court."
Former members said the less time lawmakers spend with colleagues on the opposite side of the aisle, the more partisanship deepens. ...
"I got to the point where I wanted to have a conversation with a Republican colleague that I didn't know and [I said], 'I want you to know that I don't view you as my enemy,'" said Anna Eshoo, a Democrat who represented California from 1993 to 2025. "Isn't that something, that I felt like I needed to say that?" ...
"Our long-term strategic goal is to accomplish something similar to what al-Qaida and IS accomplished in Syria"
Trump bombed a group of terrorist involved in killing of military personnel.
#14 | Posted by lfthndthrds drudge.com
Hmmm.