Phillip Scott Andrews/The New York Times
Thought that Democrats and Republicans couldn't find anything new to fight about? Think again, as the latest battle for the two sides is over disposable cutlery in the House cafeterias. Under Representative Nancy Pelosi, vendors were required to provide biodegradable utensils, but with Republicans back in control, disposable forks and knives have returned. And unsurprisingly Democrats aren't too pleased.
"You wonder what's next. Lead paint? Asbestos? I mean, there's lots of things that are less expensive as long as you don't care about health and other considerations," Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer told NPR last week. He, and other Democrats, see this as an attempt to undo the efforts made to make Washington more green.
Republicans on the other hand argue over the cost and effectiveness of the program. At $475,000 a year, the benefit of compostable utensils was the equivalent of taking one car off the road, according to Sally Wood, a spokesman for California Republican Dan Lungren, who moved to return to disposable tableware. Also, the cutlery just wasn't very good, with forks bending and spoons melting in soup. “They could not penetrate lettuce,” Wood said to The New York Times.
While it was Republicans who rid the cafeterias of biodegradable utensils, the move was actually recommended by a Democrat. In a letter to the Republican transition team in December, Pennsylvania Democrat Robert A. Brady, then chair of the Administration Committee, wrote that the program was not cost-efficient. Regardless of this, the battle over House cutlery is just another opportunity to widen the partisan divide, and because of this it will surely rage on.
Sources:
Fight Waged With Forks Is Rejoined in Congress, Jennifer Steinehauer, The New York Times
Tempest In A Foam Cup: Lawmakers Spar Over Plastic, Ted Robbins, NPR
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