30K AT WORK…As Lawmakers Abandon Session at Lower House.
Capitol Hill-August 5, 2021-WTVNEWS: Barely a week after receiving the second portion of the much talk about 30 thousand, Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have abandoned sessions to deliberate on the Liberian People’s business.
The 30K, as stated by many Lawmakers, is being used as a Legislative engagement fund. Said amount was placed in the budget to be dished out by all the 103 Lawmakers.
As per the House’s rule, Tuesdays and Thursdays are used for the Plenary’s deliberation, while the remaining are intended for a committee meeting and constituency visits.
It all seemed like the receipt of 30K by Members of the lower house has shadowed their work. During the 53rd day sitting of the 4th session of the House of Representatives, Plenary could not reach a quorum to conduct the official business of the House.
At 12:46 pm, the Chief Clerk of the House, after calling roll, announced that there were 28 members present out of its 73 members, of which there are 4 seats vacant.
House Speaker Bhofal Chambers was forced to announce an adjournment due to the lack of quorum.
The 28 members present were seeing holding pocket discussions while others left the Chambers in an attempt to do other functions.
Earlier, before the distribution of the full 30K, members of House trooped in to deliberate on other pertinent matters of the Plenary.
It can be recalled that earlier this year during the Election of the Deputy Speaker, almost all seats in the House’s Chambers were occupied.
Video Recordings from that election showed that Lawmakers were photographing their votes allegedly in anticipation of money from the candidates.
Since the commencement of the 4th session of the 54th Legislature, this is the second time the House has not had a quorum.
Today’s agenda captured several items including communications from Lawmakers on security, commerce, an investigation into suicide as well a writ against the House for jailing former NSA deputy director for sharing child porn video, among others.
None of those items were discussed and acted upon.
