Campus Notebook: Guilty as Charged
D.C. shadow Sen. Paul Strauss (D) pleaded guilty last week to driving under the influence, after he was arrested Oct. 1 with a blood alcohol level of 0.16.
[IMGCAP(1)]Strauss was sentenced to 11 months supervised probation and a $400 fine.
An affidavit filed in D.C. Superior Court described a “very unsteady— Strauss who flashed his Senate ID to Officer Jose Rodriguez after being pulled over for driving 49 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone.
Strauss initially pleaded not guilty and overwhelmingly won a third term a month after his arrest. As a shadow Senator, he isn’t officially recognized by the Senate; rather, he is an unpaid D.C. government official.
Guaranteed Baby Bonding. This week, the House is expected to consider the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, which would provide four weeks of paid leave for federal employees after the birth or adoption of a child.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) first introduced the bill in 2007, and since then, it has gone through several versions. The latest bill is identical to one that passed the House last June by a 278-146 vote.
Right now, the federal government doesn’t offer employees any paid leave at all. Benefits in Congressional offices vary, with some Members offering generous paid leave and others offering none at all.
Supporters of the bill say the government lags behind the private sector in such benefits, and the Congressional Budget Office found that the bill is pay-as-you-go neutral.
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