Smoking in the capital

[kingtas]

If smoking has been banned in federal buildings, how can congress smoke in some chambers? The law is the law for everyone, is it not?

I read about this in a news article but can't remember the source.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: kingtas
If smoking has been banned in federal buildings, how can congress smoke in some chambers? The law is the law for everyone, is it not?

I read about this in a news article but can't remember the source.

I remeber this mentioned in January.

I believe Pelosi has put an end to the practice altogether.

I'll look for the article.

Here it is:

House Nancy Pelosi has banished smokers from the ornate lobby outside the House chamber

February 14, 2007
WASHINGTON - The neighborly spirit has gone up in smoke on Capitol Hill, and leave it to Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo to be in the middle of the latest flare-up.
According to the congressional newspaper The Hill, freshman Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., called the cops one day last week to complain about the cigar smoke wafting out of Tancredo's office.

Tancredo, R-Littleton, is known to enjoy his fine cigars. And now that the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has banished smokers from the ornate lobby outside the House chamber, aficionados like Tancredo must go outside or retreat to their private offices when they want to light up.

"All you've got now is your little domain," Tancredo said this morning.

Like many other members of the House, Tancredo has special air filters in his office that are supposed to catch the smoke. But apparently, it wasn't enough to offend his new next-door neighbor, Ellison, last week.

The Hill reported that Ellison called Capitol Hill police, who showed up at Tancredo's last Wednesday night to inform him that his neighbor had complained.

"It's very bizarre," Tancredo told the newspaper. "Seemed to me not a good way to say hello."

Columnist Betsy Rothstein wrote that it "takes the cake for the nerviest behavior so far among members of this year's freshman class of Congress."

The District of Columbia government recently banned smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants and bars, but Congress, naturally, is exempt.

Tancredo said he has no plans to quit his occasional cigar smoking, but as a "peace offering" he joked that he might invite Ellison over for a cigar

 

[imported_Shivetya]

Originally posted by: kingtas
If smoking has been banned in federal buildings, how can congress smoke in some chambers? The law is the law for everyone, is it not?

I read about this in a news article but can't remember the source.

Congress regularly exempts themselves from laws they impose on others.

Aristocracy cannot be impeded.

 

[ayabe]

I am thinking that it just hasn't been enforced, it seems Pelosi has started enforcing the rule or so I heard.

As an aside, this applies to prisons as well and just last week some inmates took a guard hostage but let him go after they got some cigarettes.

I guess they can make whatever law they want, but outlawing smoking in prisons is a step too far IMHO, they have enough trouble keeping our overpopulated prisons in control and denying homicidal maniacs their nicotine fix is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Genx87]

Senators can still smoke within their own offices.