What Hath Congress Wrought?

Happening upon this interminable list, I couldn’t resist providing you a copy for your reading pleasure.

Since the Member Associations for the present Congress are not yet available — I doubt they’ve gotten them all together for this term — the one for the 110th Congress will have to do. What do you want to bet that the 111th Congressional Member Associations is even larger?

Obviously the creation of these special interest groups associations — not to mention staffing them and rolling out position papers on every favorite topic — is not done for free so one ought at least to be aware of some of the nooks and crannies into which tax dollars are stuffed.

Besides, these make-work groups are fascinating reading in a schadenfreude kind of way. Some people are spellbound when they happen upon the scene of a traffic accident. Happening upon this list produces a similar effect.

The link above is provided so you can go to the site and get some idea of which Congressmen are involved in which groups. I left the list in the order it appears on the site so that sifting through it will be an easier task in case you want to contact anyone for further information. Removing the particulars of the contact information makes the listing shorter. That enables you to better comprehend the breadth of Congress’ overreach.

You will find a perusal through this list most informative. No doubt you will have your favorites. Mine are, to name a few, the Potato Caucus; the Americans Abroad Caucus (A.A.s definitely need protection); the Cement Caucus; the Bike, Black, and Boating Caucuses, respectively (just because they’re next to one another on the list and roll off the tongue so alliteratively. If you’re a black biker and you have a boat — well, there you go).

There are separate caucuses on Israel, divided by party. Presumably the goals for Israel in each group differ somewhat?.

There’s a caucus for Sugar Reform and another one for Sweeteners. One of those ( I forget which) actually has a contact person whose last name is Sweet.

And there are caucuses for lots of diseases and disorders. It would seem easier to make one umbrella group: The Disorders and Diseases Caucus, but perhaps there would be turf wars and hair-pulling, so maybe not. How come there’s not a Fibromyalgia Caucus? Probably because we’re too tired or in too much of a fog to pester them for a group of our very own. Besides, there’s not any money to be made in looking for a “cure” for such a protean disorder.

Enjoy…see if you can find your favorite cause. Or maybe adopt one. Or demand one of your Congressman. Yeah, I know: it’s supposed to be Congressperson… okay, okay, if you insist: your Congressbabe. So report me to the Caucus on Political Correctness. They don’t appear on the list, though. Maybe they meet in secret but no doubt Barney Frank, et al, could let you in.

Come to think of it, p.c. speech and thinking is so pervasive now that we no longer need a group to foster its ends. We’ve all been programmed to perform our own self-censorship. Who would dare say “mick”, or “dago” or even — heaven forbid — “lady”. Oops, “heaven” is bound to be on the don’t-go-there list, too. Well, landsakes, what can a body say these days? [for the irony-impaired: the immediately preceding comments were intended as sarcasm. You know, jokes]

Most of the list is below the fold. Our more imaginative readers may be able to come up with some groups the Congressional Members Association overlooked. Like where is the Viking Caucus (never mind, they have Denmark listed), or the Erstwhile Friends of Eire Caucus? I know: the Christmas Tree Growers’ Caucus! We need one of them. I was told that a Wine Growers’ Caucus existed, but maybe that’s reserved for the Senate since the Beer people are listed over here on the Congressional side.

Note: I shortened some of the longer titles, used T.F. for Task Force, got rid of the word “Congressional” since it was redundant. In some places, I did the same with Caucus. “Methamphetamine” was shortened to meth, since our readers are cool and sure to know all that jargon.

Happy reading!

• 21st Century Health Care Caucus
  
• 9/11 Health Caucus
  
• Addiction, Treatment & Recovery Caucus
  
• Afghanistan Working Group
  
• Afterschool Caucus
  
• Appalachian Caucus
  
• Albanian Issues Caucus
  
• Americans Abroad Caucus
  
• America Supports You Caucus
  
• Bicameral Caucus on Parkinson’s
  
• Biomedical Research Caucus
  
• Bipartisan Bicameral T.F. on Alzheimer’s
  
• Bipartisan Cerebral Palsy Caucus
  
• Bipartisan Pro-Choice Caucus
  
• Bipartisan Pro-Life Caucus
  
• Bipartisan T. F. on Nonproliferation
  
• Bipartisan School Health & Safety Caucus
  
• Bi-Partisan Sugar Reform Caucus
  
• Cement Caucus

- - - - - - - - -

• Chesapeake Bay Watershed T.F.
  
• Children’s Environmental Health
  
• Class of 2006 Caucus
  
• Coalition on Autism Research
  
• Coalition of American Investors & Retirees
  
• Commission on Divided Families
  
• Community College Caucus
  
• Air Medical Caucus
  
• Arts Caucus
  
• Asian Pacific American Caucus
  
• Automotive Caucus
  
• Azerbaijan Caucus
  
• Battlefield Caucus
  
• Bike Caucus
  
• Black Caucus
  
• Boating Caucus
  
• Book Club: National Security
  
• Border Caucus
  
• Brain Injury T. F.
  
• Brazil Caucus
  
• Cancer Action Caucus
  
• Career & Technical Education Caucus
  
• Caribbean Caucus
  
• Caucus for Freedom of the Press
  
• Caucus for Women’s Issues
  
• Caucus on Algeria
  
• Caucus on Armenian Issues
  
• Caucus on Bosnia
  
• Caucus on Central & Eastern Europe
  
• Caucus on Community Health Centers
  
• Caucus on Drug Policy
  
• Caucus on the European Union
  
• Caucus on Hellenic Issues
  
• Caucus on Human Trafficking
  
• Caucus on India & Indian Americans
  
• Caucus on Indonesia
  
• Caucus on Infant Health & Safety
  
• Caucus on Intellectual Property & Piracy
  
• Caucus on the Judicial Branch
  
• Caucus on Korea
  
• Caucus on the Netherlands
  
• Caucus on Religious Minorities in the M.E.
  
• Caucus on Swaziland
  
• Caucus on Turkey
  
• Caucus on Vietnam
  
• Caucus on Youth Sports
  
• Caucus to Fight & Control Meth
  
• Children’s Caucus
  
• Children’s Health Care Caucus
  
• Children’s Study Working Group
  
• China Caucus
  
• Climate Change Caucus
  
• Coalition on Adoption
  
• Coastal Caucus
  
• Coast Guard Caucus
  
• Community Pharmacy Coalition
  
• Correctional Officers Caucus
  
• Cuba Democracy Caucus
  
• Cystic Fibrosis Caucus
  
• Czech Caucus
  
• Dairy Farmers Caucus
  
• Dialogue Caucus
  
• Dietary Supplement Caucus
  
• Documentary Film & Book Caucus
  
• Down Syndrome Caucus
  
• DTV Caucus
  
• E-911 Caucus
  
• Entertainment T. F.
  
• Entertainment Industries Caucus
  
• Ethiopia & Ethiopian American Caucus
  
• Everglades Caucus
  
• Fire Services Caucus
  
• Fitness Caucus
  
• Former Mayors Caucus
  
• French Caucus
  
• Friends of Animals Caucus
  
• Friends of Canada Caucus
  
• Friends of Denmark
  
• Friends of Jordan Caucus
  
• Friends of Liechtenstein Caucus
  
• Friends of Spain Caucus
  
• Gaming Caucus
  
• Georgia Caucus
  
• Glaucoma Caucus
  
• Global Health Caucus
  
• Hazards Caucus
  
• Hearing Health Caucus
  
• Heart & Stroke Coalition
  
• High-Performance Buildings
  
• High Technology Caucus
  
• Hispanic Caucus
  
• Hispanic Conference
  
• Horse Caucus
  
• Humanities Caucus
  
• H.R. 676 Caucus
  
• Human Rights Caucus
  
• Hydropower Caucus
  
• Insurance Caucus
  
• International Anti-Piracy Caucus
  
• Internet Caucus
  
• Israel Allies Caucus
  
• Kidney Caucus
  
• Labor & Working Families Caucus
  
• Life Insurance Caucus
  
• Long Island Sound Caucus
  
• Malaria Caucus
  
• Manufacturing Caucus
  
• Manufacturing T. F.
  
• Men’s Health Caucus
  
• Mental Health Caucus
  
• Mining Caucus
  
• Missing & Exploited Children Caucus
  
• Motorcycle Safety Caucus
  
• Multiple Sclerosis Caucus
  
• Nanotechnology Caucus
  
• Native American Caucus
  
• Navy-Marine Corps Caucus
  
• Nuclear Cleanup Caucus
  
• Oral Health Caucus
  
• Organ & Tissue Donation
  
• Organic Caucus
  
• Osteoporosis Caucus
  
• Pakistan Caucus
  
• Peanut Caucus
  
• Philanthropy Caucus
  
• Poland Caucus
  
• Port Security Caucus
  
• Prayer Caucus
  
• Pro-Life Women’s Caucus
  
• Progressive Caucus
  
• Real Estate Caucus
  
• Romania Caucus
  
• Rural Housing Caucus
  
• Savings & Ownership Caucus
  
• Science Caucus
  
• Scouting Caucus
  
• Second Amendment Caucus
  
• Serbian Caucus
  
• Shellfish Caucus
  
• Shipbuilding Caucus
  
• Singapore Caucus
  
• Soccer Caucus
  
• Soils Caucus
  
• Songwriters Caucus
  
• Sports Caucus
  
• Sportsmen’s Caucus
  
• Steel Caucus
  
• Stop DUI Caucus
  
• Study Group on Public Health
  
• Submarine Caucus
  
• Taiwan Caucus
  
• T. F. on Illegal Guns
  
• T. F. on Tobacco & Health
  
• T. F. on U.S.-India Trade
  
• Tibet Caucus
  
• Travel & Tourism Caucus
  
• Ukrainian Caucus
  
• United Kingdom Caucus
  
• Urban Caucus
  
• Victims’ Rights Caucus
  
• Vision Caucus
  
• Water Ways Caucus
  
• Western Caucus
  
• Wildlife Refuge Caucus
  
• Wireless Caucus
  
• Zoo & Aquarium Caucus
  
• Croatian Caucus
  
• Delaware River Basin T. F.
  
• Democratic Budget Group
  
• Democratic Israel Working Group
  
• Distributed Energy Caucus
  
• Diversity & Innovation Caucus
  
• Electronic Warfare Working Group
  
• E-Waste Working Group
  
• Financial & Economic Literacy Caucus
  
• Fragile X Caucus
  
• Free File Caucus
  
• Friends of Job Corps Caucus
  
• Friends of Kazakhstan
  
• Friends of New Zealand Caucus
  
• Friends of Scotland Caucus
  
• Future of American Media Caucus
  
• Friends of Paraguay Caucus
  
• Generic Drug Equity Caucus
  
• Global Family Day Caucus
  
• Great Lakes T. F.
  
• Green Schools Caucus
  
• Gulf Coast Recovery Caucus
  
• Historic Preservation Caucus
  
• Aerospace Caucus
  
• Air Force Caucus
  
• Anti Terrorism Caucus
  
• Army Caucus
  
• Baltic Caucus
  
• Cancer Caucus
  
• Biotechnology Caucus
  
• Center Aisle Caucus
  
• Hunger Caucus
  
• Impact Aid Coalition
  
• Mentoring Caucus
  
• Mississippi River Delta Caucus
  
• Naval Mine Warfare Caucus
  
• Nursing Caucus
  
• Oceans Caucus
  
• Potato Caucus
  
• Refugee Caucus
  
• Republican Israel Caucus
  
• Rural Health Care Caucus
  
• Science, Engineering & Math Ed.
  
• Small Brewers Caucus
  
• Sweetener Caucus
  
• Trails Caucus
  
• Veterans’ Mental Health Caucus
  
• HUBZone Caucus
  
• Hungarian American Caucus
  
• Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Caucus
  
• I-73/74 Corridor Caucus
  
• Immigration Reform Caucus
  
• International Conservation Caucus
  
• International Workers Rights Caucus
  
• Iran Human Rights & Democracy Caucus
  
• Iran Working Group
  
• Kurdish-American Caucus
  
• Land Conservation Caucus
  
• Law Enforcement Caucus
  
• LGBT Equality Caucus
  
• Lyme Disease Caucus
  
• Middle Class Caucus
  
• Malaysia Trade, Security & Economic Co-op
  
• Manufactured Housing Caucus
  
• Medical Technology Caucus
  
• Metropolitan Mobility Caucus
  
• Military Veterans Caucus
  
• Missile Defense Caucus
  
• Modeling & Simulation Caucus
  
• National Guard & Reserve Caucus
  
• National Landscape Conservation Caucus
  
• National Marine Sanctuary Caucus
  
• National Parks Caucus
  
• National Service Caucus
  
• National Security Interagency Reform
  
• New Democrat Coalition
  
• Northeast Agriculture Caucus
  
• Northeast Midwest Coalition
  
• Northern Border Caucus
  
• Northwest Energy Caucus
  
• Nuclear Issues Working Group
  
• Nuclear Security Caucus
  
• Oil & National Security Caucus
  
• Out of Poverty Caucus
  
• Panama Trade, Security & Econ. Co-op
  
• Passenger Rail Caucus
  
• Patriot Act Reform Caucus
  
• Prisoners of War/M.I.A. Action Caucus
  
• Pro-Choice Caucus
  
• Professional Military Education Caucus
  
• Professional Sports Caucus
  
• Protecting Our Private Property
  
• Public Broadcasting Caucus
  
• Recording Arts & Sciences Caucus
  
• Reliable Energy Caucus
  
• Renewable Energy & Efficiency
  
• Republican Study Committee
  
• Research & Development Caucus
  
• Rural Veterans Caucus
  
• Salton Sea T. F.
  
• Silk Road Caucus
  
• Smart Contracting Caucus
  
• Sovereignty Caucus
  
• Space Power Caucus
  
• Spina Bifida Caucus
  
• Suburban Agenda Caucus
  
• Suburban Transportation Comm.
  
• Sudan Caucus
  
• T. F. on Terrorism & Proliferation Finance
  
• T. F. on Terrorism & Unconventional Wars
  
• Tennessee Valley Authority Caucus
  
• Tunisia Caucus
  
• Unexploded Ordinance Caucus
  
• US-Afghan Caucus
  
• US-China Working Group
  
• US-Kazakhstan Interparliamentary Friendship
  
• US-Mongolia Friendship Caucus
  
• US-Philippines Friendship Caucus
  
• Victory in Iraq Caucus
  
• Water Caucus
  
• Zero AMT Caucus