Abolish congressional recesses and make attendance mandatory for all representatives

The average full time American worker spends 260 days per calendar year at work. Attendance on those days is not optional, and often the penalty for absenteeism is termination. When important work remains to be done at the end of our work days, we are usually expected to remain and finish it without additional compensation - it is simply our job to do so. By contrast, in 2010 the 111th House of Representatives spent only 128 days in session. The 111th Senate spent only 158 days in session. Seldom does Congress accomplish the 5-day work week that most Americans maintain. Additionally, important legislation is often left unfinished when Congress begins a recess. We ask nothing less than that our elected representatives be held to the same standard that the rest of working Americans meet.