European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Congressmen find Little time for family it s a Lousy life by Jill Lawrence associated Pressa California congressman stalked Inlo a Mealing and announced thai his easier vacation As usual did t coincide with his children s time Oil from school thai s it he said. I m  maybe thai was t the Only reason Tom Rees retired 10 years ago. Bui in the cloakroom of the Capitol in the corridors and Over dinner talk Ollen turns to the difficulties Many congressmen know All Loo Well the compromises they make in trying to balance family life with whal amounts to two other jobs serving constituents a Homo and making Laws in Washington it s a great Job says sen. Dennis Deconcini d ariz., bul it s a Lousy  not even a chief executive officer in the corporate world has to Pul up with 3 30 . Floor Voles weekends on the Road and particularly Lor House members Wilh iwo year terms near continuous campaigning to survive the next election. When other people Are having weekends working around the House Riding a Bike playing touch football whal we do is go out and stay in ramadas and make speeches Lour tac lories says sen. John Dan Lorah a to i Don say thai to complain. It s pan of my Job and i love the Job. Bul Isail As a matter of fact. Most people Wolf in l consider that a bang up  the logistics Are complicated sorting Wilh whether to leave the family Al Home or bring the wife and kids to Washington. The psychological aspects Are Tough lawmakers themselves describe their Job As sell entered and preemptive. And the demands on members from weekend Ravel to late night legislating often create or aggravate tensions Between husbands and wives a scary to Tref rejected says Beverly Hubble Tauke wife of rep. Tom Tauke a Lowa. It can be traumatic. A relationship thai could otherwise be a wonderful thing could be destroyed  there Are Only 23 women in the House end two in the Senate the great majority of them unmarried or mothers of children already grown. So the typical congressional spouse is a Wile. She often gels a taste of her new life the moment the moving Van arrives and her husband in t around to help out with the kids. Then there s the daily unanswerable quellion will he be Home for dinner and the annual hassle of trying la plan Holiday vacations Congress Aims Lor october adjournment each year but has made that deadline Only twice since 1979 in 1982 the final Gavel did t come Down until dec 23 despite the pressures on political couples to stay together a recent Survey found 10 divorced or separated senators and 28 divorced or separated representatives. That does t include the Many who have divorced and remarried. I know members who have spouses who Don l like politics they Don t have a commitment to Public service says rep Tauke. Under those circumstances to s very Milf cull Tor a marriage to survive scr Sce in  rep. Phil Sharp 0-lnd. And his wife Marilyn author of Best Selling thrillers such As Sunflower and fats Elace. Are beating those Odds Wilh some accommodation on both sides. She strives to maintain her literary Igo tily. To no longer assumes As he did at first that he is exempt from household chores and child care this environment for to is very hostile mrs. Sharp said in an interview published in Washington woman Magazine i would go so tar Aslo say that i am lighting Lor my survival not in the sense of living bul in having my dreams  wined and dined and a celebrity in new York publishing circles mrs. Sharp was disoriented by her new role. She was taught How to Send 250,000 Christmas cards How to find a Good caterer. On a Pentagon Lour with other wives she was advised to note a ship s Kitchen congressional wives can often be treated As appendages. They d bolter have a very Strong sell image to Deal with it says mrs. Tauke. When you go to a parly a lol of times you Are sort of left out if you re no standing beside your husband or even if you Are adds Frances Dewine wife of rep Michael Edwinor Ohio the two women say they Don t let that kind of thing bother them. What mailers More they say is squeezing family Lime into their husbands Jampa Cfred Days and weekends. Ii Youdon t plan in. Piety soon you Don t spend any of the limes thai Are supposed to be special together says mrs Tauke who was in Iowa the Day of the interview to see her husband on her birthday. I Call up the scheduler says mrs. Dewine. It you Don t say your kid has a boy scout banquet he d like his father to come to he s not going to be Able to do it. You have to Call Early and gel your name  Danforth Deconcini and several others formed an and hoc Quality of Hie committee in the last Congress Wilh the  of making it possible for senators to Lead less pressured personal lives we were wasting a lol of time and not accomplishing anything bul enormous amounts of wheel spinning in the Senate thai had an Impact on family  recalls Danforth but the Effort disintegrated with the crush of business this is not what i had in  Deconcini said wryly last tall As the Senate grappled Wilh a spending Bill Al 3 30 . The Quality of life Campaign was revived Over the summer with a slightly different spin. Proponents now refer to the Quality of work and Are seeking Rule changes to improve efficiency bul the goal is the same there should be Lime Lor Lile outside the Senate. In the House the length of a debate and the amendments to be offered Are decided ahead of time but House members sell say they do not have enough Advance notice of Holiday recesses late nights and votes clustered around weekends. We always seem to be Able to schedule around the Golf tournaments key football games. We used to Page 14 the stars and stripes the family of Flap Michael of wine a Ono Potea i Becky Botto mrow John. Alice hit Wale Frances sunday Nave