In Nancy Pelosi's House, It's No Ifs, Ands or Butts

[question everything]

The Wall Street Journal

January 11, 2007

In Nancy Pelosi's House, It's No Ifs, Ands or Butts
By BRODY MULLINS
January 11, 2007; Page A4

WASHINGTON -- Democrats took control of Congress aiming to erase perceptions of lawmakers and lobbyists drafting legislation in smoke-filled rooms. Now they are targeting the smoke-filled room itself. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used her newly won powers to ban smoking in an anteroom off the House floor where lawmakers can relax and talk during floor debate. The so-called Speaker's Lobby was one of the few remaining havens where smokers could indulge their habit. But under the new Democratic Congress, that tradition is over.

The federal government banned smoking in federal buildings more than a decade ago. In the spring, the District of Columbia outlawed smoking in all workplaces and most indoor public areas. Starting this month, it became illegal to smoke in nearly all bars and restaurants in the nation's capital. But Congress often exempts itself from the law. Unlike most other employers, members of Congress are exempt from laws governing maternity leave. They may also carry guns on the Capitol grounds, despite a District-wide ban.

In a similar vein, lawmakers were allowed to smoke in certain places on Capitol Hill, primarily in the Speaker's Lobby and in their own offices. The Lobby is an anteroom off the House floor -- behind the podium where the Speaker and the President stand during the State of the Union -- that may be used only by lawmakers, reporters and some congressional staff.

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In the Senate, smoking is allowed only in senators' offices. The smell of cigar smoke often hangs in the air outside the Capitol office of Sen. Robert Byrd (D., W. Va.), while visitors can catch Sen. Barack Obama (D., Ill.) sneaking a few puffs outside the building.

The smoking ban, which is effective immediately, is a victory for California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman's long-running campaign against smoking. Mr. Waxman, the new chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, led the effort to ban smoking in the U.S. Capitol and the House's office buildings. Last year he prodded then-Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois to eliminate the smoking section in one House cafeteria. "The smoke didn't respect the old dividing line," he said.

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116848315082973348.html (subscription)

[silverojo]

1. K&R

I *love* this! Another reason for smokers to whine! Hey, if you want to kill yourself with nicotine, go for it...but don't smoke in public where you can kill us along with you.

Go, Nancy, go!