# Is This the Dumbest New Congressmember? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 24, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786 "2010-11-24T16:33:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/41 "2010-12-02T15:40:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It looks to me like she has a problem with the fact that the rule _isn’t_ sexist. Now, if the rule said that men had to doff their hats but women could leave them on, _that_ would be sexist. Actually, several places have such a rule. A Google search finds [this PDF](http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/1999/House/bills/analysis/pdf/HB0009.EDK.pdf) from the Florida Senate that talks about men removing their hats for the anthem but not women. That comes from the centuries-old notion that a man’s hat is an accessory to his outfit, but a woman’s hat is part of it. I wouldn’t say it’s sexist any more than a law saying that men can remove their shirts in public, but women cannot. Now, with that out of my system, I agree that this is an absolutely stupid fight to start your Senate career off on, never mind taking it on at any point during your public service life! ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/42 "2010-12-02T22:40:29Z")
Well I think in fairness the men shouldn’t be allowed to where head coverings either. No more toupees for anyone. Sure she’s an idiot and wasting time in the House with nonsensical issues but it’s not like the House has anything better to do. The House has all the time in the world to do fuck all. IMO they shouldn’t bother to show up until they have a bill passed by the Senate to vote on. The house could do more good back in their own districts doing community service rather then debating bills the Senate will never take up. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/43 "2010-12-03T14:53:14Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Congratulations, Florida, you’ve done it again! Breathing a sigh of relief up here in South Carolina. Hats off to you, Florida! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/44 "2010-12-03T15:04:47Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Sure she’s an idiot and wasting time in the House with nonsensical issues but it’s not like the House has anything better to do. The House has all the time in the world to do fuck all. IMO they shouldn’t bother to show up until they have a bill passed by the Senate to vote on. The house could do more good back in their own districts doing community service rather then debating bills the Senate will never take up. Bills can originate in the House, too, you know. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/45 "2010-12-03T20:34:38Z")
Maybe she’s balding and embarrassed to remove her hat. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/46 "2010-12-04T01:41:33Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Bills can originate in the House, too, you know. Sure and nearly everyone of them that’s originated in the house over the past couple years has died without ever even getting to the senate floor. Passing House bills is just something they do at this point to pass the time. If they can’t even get a acknowledgment from the Senate they will even look at a bill, why bother getting the House together to vote on a bill? My congressman would be doing more for me, picking up trash and spending his evenings at home with his family. He could head into DC the few rare times something gets done in the Senate. Though this woman’s decided to take up the wearing of hats, at least that’s something the house can resolve on their own. Maybe she has the right idea taking up useless issues because it’s time better spent then sending legislation to the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/47 "2010-12-04T02:00:33Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Sure and nearly everyone of them that’s originated in the house over the past couple years has died without ever even getting to the senate floor. Citation needed. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/48 "2010-12-04T02:43:33Z")
The Senate is currently sitting on over 400 bills passed by the House. These bills will likely never see a vote from the Senate. Everyone of those bills represents hours of the House’s time wasted. Many of them were passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and will likely have to be reintroduced in the next congress representing even more wasted time. Here’s a list > **[OpenCongress - Track bills, votes, senators, and representatives in the U.S....](https://formspal.com/opencongress/)** > > OpenCongress helps you track bills, senators, representatives as well as gain access to hundreds of legal forms and templates. I understand that doesn’t meet the cite requested, I couldn’t the specific information on which house passed the bills first. In 2009 bills that passed both houses and signed into law amounted to 123. I’m pretty sure less bills passed the senate this year then last. I’ll give up my quote you requested citation for, but still maintain the House showing up to vote on bills, not passed by the senate, is a waste of time. It is a bit exaggerated because some types bills are required to pass the House before the Senate can consider them, such as tax bills which must originate in the House. So yeah for a few things the House does need call a vote first. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/49 "2010-12-09T18:56:26Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Well I think in fairness the men shouldn’t be allowed to where head coverings either. No more toupees for anyone. There head coverings either. There castle either. Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to talk like that. Damn my eyes. For those puzzled: https://www.youtube.com/embed/XaPZZJVDx6Y?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque about the 3:20 mark. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/50 "2010-12-10T15:51:47Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I’m fairly sure sexually pleasuring oneself on the House floor is also banned, or at least frowned upon. > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Anything to cut the deficit. 😃 .. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2010, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/51 "2010-12-21T04:17:17Z")
> [@dhkendall](#): > > Actually, several places have such a rule. A Google search finds [this PDF](http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/1999/House/bills/analysis/pdf/HB0009.EDK.pdf) from the Florida Senate that talks about men removing their hats for the anthem but not women. That comes from the centuries-old notion that a man’s hat is an accessory to his outfit, but a woman’s hat is part of it. I wouldn’t say it’s sexist any more than a law saying that men can remove their shirts in public, but women cannot. > > Now, with that out of my system, I agree that this is an absolutely stupid fight to start your Senate career off on, never mind taking it on at any point during your public service life! Naw, it’s brilliant. Sure, it disqualifies her for running for statewide office, but she’s not looking for that anyway. Her interest, her only interest, is in getting reelected from her majority black district. Who does most of the voting in her district? Older black ladies who wear hats in church. She get some media attention, plenty of sympathy because as my late grandma might put it, “These nasty old crackers won’t let her wear her hat.” Brilliant move on her part. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/52 "2011-01-05T20:59:18Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > [Florida lawmaker calls House ban on hats ‘sexist’](http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theticket/20101122/pl_yblog_theticket/florida-lawmaker-calls-house-ban-on-hats-sexist)… She’s like the living, black, non-Zionist, Texas version of Bella Abzug. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/53 "2011-01-05T23:22:54Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > Who does most of the voting in her district? > > Older black ladies who wear hats in church. > > She get some media attention, plenty of sympathy because as my late grandma might put it, “These nasty old crackers won’t let her wear her hat.” Yep. This isn’t prohibiting some alien style of dress, this is a dickish exclusion of traditional black female American dress. I really do see it as racial, not so much that the white people who made the rule are trying to exclude a black woman, but that they don’t get it. It’s about a step away from making her wear a straight wig so her kinky hair doesn’t offend some white looneytune. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/54 "2011-01-05T23:28:50Z")
I don’t expect that she means to devote her career to this. This is a matter of old-fashioned white male cultural particularism, & she should have been able to get the rule changed & get it out of the way without a bunch of white ninnies calling her an idiot. Or failing that, make the request & not get the change without a bunch of white ninnies calling her an idiot. This isn’t Jon Kyl whinging about having to work within a week of Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/55 "2011-01-06T14:13:31Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Yep. This isn’t prohibiting some alien style of dress, this is a dickish exclusion of traditional black female American dress. I really do see it as racial, not so much that the white people who made the rule are trying to exclude a black woman, but that they don’t get it. It’s about a step away from making her wear a straight wig so her kinky hair doesn’t offend some white looneytune. Please tell me you’re not serious. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/56 "2011-01-06T15:50:18Z")
Is there a strict dress code for representatives outside of the hat issue? We had a state senator in Nebraska who made a point of wearing a t-shirt on the floor of the Unicameral; this changed to a sweatshirt with cut-off sleeves when he got older. Would dress like this be tolerated at the national level? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/57 "2011-01-06T19:59:20Z")
When I’m elected to the House, I’m going to debate Chicago-style. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/58 "2011-01-06T20:03:48Z")
Mmmm. Deep dish debate. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/59 "2011-01-06T20:14:34Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > Maybe she _is_ worrying about the economy too. But this is truly a tone-deaf way to make one’s congressional debut. She’s all hat and no gavel. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786/60 "2011-01-07T17:09:38Z")
Anyone know where you can see her official Congress portrait? I want to see this lady without her precious hat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-the-dumbest-new-congressmember/561786.md?page=4)