FoxNews.com
12/18/2011
Members of the House of Representatives are being told that no holiday greetings, including “Merry Christmas,” can be sent out in official mail.
According to the Washington Examiner, members who submit official mailings for review by the congressional franking commission that reviews all congressional mail to determine if it can be “franked,” or paid for with tax dollars, are being told that no holiday greetings, including “Merry Christmas,” can be sent.
“I called the commission to ask for clarification and was told no ‘Merry Christmas.’ Also told cannot say ‘Happy New Year’ but can say ‘have a happy new year’ – referencing the time period of a new year, but not the holiday,” a Hill staffer who requested anonymity told the paper.
Another Hill staffer said that “we were given that advice after submitting” a draft mailing.
Members of Congress send millions of dollars worth of mail to constituents every year, but there are official rules that govern what can and cannot be said in those mailings. Members are barred, for example, from saying anything that might be construed as advocating their re-election.
The article continues at FoxNews.com
