Glad Abercrombie fixed the poverty problem

Apparently, Rep. Abercrombie has fixed the poverty problem in this country, because he's turned his attention to a more pressing issue: millions of dollars in renovating the private gym of House members. Apparently it's run down and dilapidated and is an embarrassment next to the brand new gym for House staffers. Here's an idea - let's come down off the ivory tower and use the gym that the staffers use.

Pelosi arm-wrestles over cash for House gym
The Hill.com

After dueling with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) to pass a renewable energy bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) faces a wrestling match with another rogue chairman. And this one can bench-press 265 pounds.

Pelosi is set to square off against Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), the power-lifting chairman of the House gym committee.

Abercrombie is touting his efforts to secure funding in the legislative branch spending bill to begin an estimated $8 million renovation of the House gym. The project is personally important to Abercrombie, who sets a yearly goal to bench-press 200 pounds more than his age, now 69.

Pelosi and other Democratic leaders are not eager for a multimillion-dollar renovation of the congressional members-only gym to be one of the first accomplishments of the Democratic majority. They worry that freshman Democrats could be attacked on the campaign trail next year for approving a fancy new gym for themselves after winning office.

Democratic leaders held a special meeting with Abercrombie earlier this year to tell him that now is not the time for a new House gym and also instructed him not to mention the issue to reporters, according to Democratic sources.

But Abercrombie hasn't stopped talking about it. He insists that the gym needs renovating and is pushing for federal money to finance a redesign.

Abercrombie showed last week that he's not afraid to confront his leadership. Angered by a last-minute discovery that leaders would not schedule a floor vote on an Iraq bill he sponsored, Abercrombie introduced a motion to adjourn the House in protest, a rare tactic for a member of the majority to wield against his leaders. Abercrombie was the only Democrat to vote for the motion.