Picture from my phone just in front of Washington Monument Capitol Side

Another week has gone by. This last week was a recess week for Congress meaning that we are not in session giving everyone time back with their family and districts. That being said, last week was one of the busiest of the year for Washington visitors. Tourists filled the Capitol on vacation for the Independence Day weekend. The metro’s were clogged and the city was full of people unsure of where to stand–whether a metro car or an escalator. In case you would like to know the rules, when riding the escalator, for courtesy, you should stand on the right side so people can pass you on the left.

This week was spent playing catch up and getting ready for the coming week of in session work. I was able to go to a meeting on trade and learn some of the current issues such as the Columbian agreement. This is a interesting one because the agreement that was made during the Bush administration still has not made it into use. This has been sort of a, for lack of better words, “slap in the face to the Columbians.” They are our best ally in South America and we are not able to give them a viable agreement for four years now. The reason we are waiting is because the President believes labor issues still need to be solved in Columbia, even though in my opinion a good trade agreement should help labor issues in their country.

Besides work, I was able to get out this weekend and see the parade and fireworks. I was not only able to see the Budweiser Clydesdales, but I also got to pet the Budweiser Dalmatian. I was at the Capitol Fourth concert where the highlight was Steve Martin playing Banjo. The fireworks were good, but after sprinting the mall to get closer before they started, the smoke ruined some of the awe of the display.

In all, the 4th of July in D.C. is a crazy experience with hundreds of thousands of people competing for the perfect spot on the mall to celebrate.