Catholic schools feel honored again and again and again...

While waiting for this year's first stupid resolutions to come up for a vote, I decided to look at historical records to see how long I would have to wait. It turns out that this year, they're a bit slow on the uptake. Usually, stupid votes are among Congress's first few at the beginning of the new year. This year, there have been six votes and none of them are stupid.

However, as I was going back through the historical records, I discovered an odd pattern. I noticed several years where the same inane resolution was one of the first to be brought up for a vote in the House. Again and again this resolution was passed. I dug a little deeper and here's what I found:

2001 Senate Resolution 24: Honoring the contributions of Catholic schools.

2002 House Resolution 335: A resolution honoring the contributions of Catholic Schools.

2003 House Resolution 26: Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools

2004 House Resolution 492: Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools

2005 House Resolution 23: Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools

2006 House Resolution 657: Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools

2007 House Resolution 51: Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools

Seriously guys? On January 29, 2002, just four and a half months after the terrorist attacks of September 11th of the previous year, the United States House of Representatives decided that instead of spending time solving the nation's problems and making the nation safer, they wanted to spend forty minutes debating exactly how to congratulate Catholic schools for being awesome. Fourty Minutes! And then they passed resolution after resolution every year since, except for 2008. This is the kind of thing that makes me sick. And it's always one of the first things on the agenda. Look, I made a cool chart:


Take a look there at 2004. In a year when we were at war, the first order of business for the House was to say what a great thing it is that we have Catholic schools. Item number one! And you may tell me, "But Joe, Catholic School Week is in January, so it has to be one of the first things they do," to which I say no. This sort of junk should always be on the bottom of the agenda for our highest institutions of government.

Fortunately, 2008 seems to have broken the tradition. Will it rear its ugly head again this year? If it does, I would encourage our Representatives to vote Present in protest of the wasting of our time on these things when there are so many bigger tasks to be accomplished.