112th Congress

Rep. Dan Lungren: "Unusable" Cafeteria Utensils Behind Styrofoam Change

Benjy Sarlin | March 4, 2011, 9:45AM

Democratic leaders and environmental groups are lashing out at House Republicans this week over their decision to replace the cafeteria's biodegradable utensils with -- gasp -- styrofoam. Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), who made the call as chair of the House Administration Committee, says that the move will save $475,000 and that the program was inefficient by its own standards according to an audit by the Inspector General. But the whole flap really started with the crappy green-friendly cups, containers, and forks.

"The utensils it utilized were unusable," Lungren told TPM. "I had complaints -- bipartisan, Republican, Democrat, constituents, employees, members of Congress -- all saying 'Could you please give us implements at mealtime that actually work?'"

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112th Congress

House GOP Lobs Tomato Back at Dems in Styrofoam Food Fight

Benjy Sarlin | March 2, 2011, 1:35PM

Facing a pillory of environmental objections from Democratic leaders over its decision to scrap a composting program for the House cafeteria, the Republican-controlled Committee on House Administration fired back on Wednesday, telling TPM that the plan was a wasteful mess.

Earlier this week, DCCC chair Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) told reporters in a statement that "Evidently the Republican economic strategy for jobs is one word: 'Styrofoam,'" while Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) issued their own condemnations of the new non-biodegradable utensils.

Salley Wood, Communications Director for the House Administration Committee, under whose jurisdiction the cafeteria falls, dismissed their complaints as misleading.

"I'm not sure what objection the DCCC has to us saving taxpayers $475,000 by suspending a program that failed to meet is objectives," Wood told TPM.

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Nancy Pelosi

Dems Wage Food Fight Over Styrofoam in House Cafeteria

Benjy Sarlin | March 2, 2011, 11:33AM

Tax cuts for millionaires and budget cuts to social programs are one thing, but touch House Democrats' paper coffee cups and you're in a world of hurt.

Democratic leaders have been waging a war of words against the GOP majority after Republicans canceled a composting program and replaced the cafeteria's biodegradable cups, plates, and utensils with styrofoam and hard plastic. Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-CA), who announced the move last month, said in a press release the House Inspector General concluded the process of composting the green utensils added $475,000 annually to the Capitol's operating costs with only marginal environmental benefits versus the usual approach of burning trash and using the heat to create energy. In addition, the biodegradable materials drew frequent criticism from cafeteria-goers, who complained the utensils broke easily and the cups could not hold coffee without overheating and even sometimes leaking out the bottom.

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Jon Kyl

Republicans Go Easy On Arizona Judge Who Struck Down Immigration Law

Brian Beutler | July 30, 2010, 12:32PM

Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Republicans are fuming about a Wednesday ruling in Arizona's federal district court striking down the most controversial provisions of the state's recently enacted immigration statute. No longer will state police be allowed to detain people who they suspect to be illegal immigrants -- effectively nullifying the law, which had fired up the GOP's far-right base and enjoys plenty of support in Arizona. But the judge who issued the decision has enjoyed Republican support throughout her career, and thus her critics on the Hill don't go so far as to call the decision an example of activist judging.

"She didn't overturn the law," said Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), the second highest ranking Republican in the Senate. "She said that portions of it -- the bulk of it -- needed to be enjoined because of her view that it was pre-empted by federal law because it created undue additional burdens on the federal government. This judge is not an activist judge. She had to make a decision. She made a decision. I don't happen to agree with it, but she's not an activist."

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