It's August, Do You Know Where Your Lawmakers Are?

If you're in Washington, D.C., this week you might notice a lot of tourist traffic and not so much of the usual commuter traffic.

That is because it is August, the month when much of Washington officialdom gets out of town. Many others whose own work depends on those officials also leave, just for shorter periods.

It's called a recess, although members of Congress prefer the phrase "district work period." Call it what you like, it's a chunk of calendar. It's not all vacation though, as many of the members spend a lot of time