Published March 1977 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's•Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd The End of Recess The Oxford English Dictionary lists eleven definitions for the noun recess; it can mean "the act of departing," "the act of retiring," "the act of leaving a job," "a delay," "a secret hiding place," "the act of going backward," "a dislike or distrust," "a remote part of something," "an indentation," or "an agreement or convention." None of those definitions fits the period when Congress is not in session-although historically we have always called that period a Congressional Recess. It was once a good word to describe what happened when Congress adjourned. The job of a Senator or a Congressman was only a part-time avocation in the old days, and, when Congress was not meeting, the representative rushed home to run his farm or business. Now, of course, that is impossible. A Senator is required to do many hours of work off the floor, even when the Senate is not meeting. He must find time to absorb reports, statistics, legislative ideas, research papers, or analyses of current problems. He must find time to do Committee work, hold hearings, or meet with his colleagues on legislative questions. He always has office work to catch up on, and he must find time to respond to the thousands of letters and requests from constituents at home. If possible, a Senator likes to use these so-called "recess" periods to meet with Federal agency people or to go home to talk directly with citizens in his state concerning federal programs or problems which can be addressed through federal assistance. For instance, during the last such period I met with Administration officials concerning the problems of West Virginia fruit growers. I also used the period to meet with the nominee for Assistant Secretary of Labor concerning the backlog of pending black lung cases in our state. Clearly, when Congress is not actively working on the floor on legislation, Senators are not taking 'a recess.' Those days are often twelve- and fourteen hour work days. For that reason, the Senate decided this year to give those periods a more realistic name: "Non-Legislative Days." It is our hope that this will make it easier for the public to understand the job of a Senator. Simple language can do a lot to help us to communicate with one another more successfully. The old-fashioned "Congressional Recess" has thus become a part of history. Mar 23 1977