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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle, Monday, October Page Eight 14, 1985 Congress doesn't have enough time to work Lawmakers are too busy commemorating things r I " maYBeyscan years to pass legislation that deals effectively with important national issues. In spite of special sessions, committees and extended resources, Congress never seems to have enough time to get things done. Why is that, really? Is it because the desperately important issues are too complicated for Congress to sort J J fix it nexT Yoar ,tip... I used to wonder why it is that Congress seems to take ' j 7 out in only a few sessions? Is it because critical issues are too polarized for Congress to reach a viable compromise? Does Congress take several years before solving a problem just to make sure its solution will be the best one possible? That's what I used to think. Until I flew to Alichigan this summer. While flying TWA from Salt Lake Gty to St. Louis, I was bored enough to start browsing through one of those OPINION BY Shauna Bona airline magazines they put in the seatbacks "for the passenger's enjoyment during the flight." In that magazine,! mbassador, I found an article which explained exactly what it is that Congress spends most of its time doing during the legislative session every year. And the answer went a long way in showing me why issues like the deficit and the problems of U.S. farmers never seem to get solved. Not many people know this, but nearly one fourth of the legislation Congress debates and passes every year is "commemorative legislation" legislation that assigns certain days, weeks, months or years as the special occasions to celebrate, recognize or commemorate people, occupations, things or whatever. In 1966, for instance, Congress created 22 special days, weeks etc. That number has grown over the years until 1983-8when the 98th Congress passed 150 pieces of 4, commemorative legislation into law. What's worse is that Congress also spent a lot of time debating other pieces of commemorative legislation that never even made it into law. Clark Norton, author of the article entitled "Commemorative Daze," says over half of all joint resolutions introduced during the 98th Congress were written to honor some person or occasion with a day, week, month or year. I'm not suggesting that it is a bad idea for Congress to use special days etc. to honor or call attention to important issues or events. For instance, National AIDS Awareness Week, which happened to be last week, was a good idea. It showed Congressional concern for a disease that isn't always taken as seriously as it should be. This week could be used to inform the public about AIDS to dispell myths and foster real concern. . Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which the Utah Legislature has shamefully decided not to honor, is another important commemorative day. If honored properly, it will increase national awareness of the continuing struggle for civil rights in the United States while also honoring the advancements made because of Dr. King. Still, other commemorative legislation seems to be little more than a waste of legislative time. For instance, how many people knew or cared that September was National Sewing Month or that April was Parliamentary Emphasis Month? How many people ran out and celebrated National Duck Stamp Week or Navajo Code Talkers Day? Even if there weren't a myriad of other vital issues for Congress deal with while in session, I would still have to wonder what logic it uses to determine which things to commemorate and when. Why was each state able to determine whether to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day while every state was forced to honor Memorial Day? Some things are too difficult for the average Joe to comprehend, and I guess that's why we have a republic in the first place. Maybe an answer to the deficit will never be found, but at least we all know to when to celebrate sewing. ASUU Challenge Lecture II QJO! M y - i - . " 4 '' ,1"' ' . mom BaiBirB?B 'What Goes On - - : yO sr j j Behind Closed Doors Famous Washington D.C. investigative reporter and sleuth. ABC News Media Star i I (Good Morning America) U. of U. Alumnus |
