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This may be good for his personal development or growth and understanding but wouldn't his constituents rather he dedicate his time to representing them and the

This may be good for his personal development or growth and understanding but wouldn't his constituents rather he dedicate his time to representing them and their interests in the house of representatives?

0xdde 4y ago
Maybe they don't mind him spending a few hours on it each day after he's done with work and would rather he have this more knowledgeable take on relevant legislation.
- tracer17 4y ago
  I'm his constituent and I don't mind at all. I think having some free time is crucial to performing well at all jobs and if he chooses to spend that time on coursework that could give him greater insight into Congressional policy then more power to him.
rg111 4y ago
No. Being a Congressman not only means attending to his local issues and policies. It also means helping create federal and state policies, regulations, being member of national committees, etc. And there are going to be more such bodies in the near future centered around technology and AI. It's laudable that he is keeping himself updated and informed. Remember the judge who learned Java? It's like that.
cm2187 4y ago
Representatives have to do both, represent the interest of their voters, but also legislate on all sort of national topics, from financial regulations to defence matters. So it is very reasonable for a member of congress to become a specialist on a topic that may be of critical importance to the country one day. I wish more would have done that in the 90s when the internet and personal computers started being a big thing.
xerxesaa 4y ago
If this same person was deciding to spend 3-4 hours a day watching Netflix or playing basketball, this would not even be a question. He has a life outside of Congress and I see nothing wrong with using it to further his education.
HillRat 4y ago
He represents VA-08, which is basically 90% defense contractors, systems integrators, and technology consultants — there’s a reason he’s chair of Space and Aeronautics — so arguably this is right in his constituents’ wheelhouse.
- snowwrestler 4y ago
  To be more specific, his district includes the “National Landing” development which will include Amazon’s HQ2 and a Virginia Tech “innovation” campus, as well as the Thomas Jefferson magnet high school, the CIA, the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir… and many surrounding neighborhoods.
deleted 4y ago
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0xdde 4y ago

Maybe they don't mind him spending a few hours on it each day after he's done with work and would rather he have this more knowledgeable take on relevant legislation.

tracer17 4y ago
I'm his constituent and I don't mind at all. I think having some free time is crucial to performing well at all jobs and if he chooses to spend that time on coursework that could give him greater insight into Congressional policy then more power to him.

rg111 4y ago

No. Being a Congressman not only means attending to his local issues and policies. It also means helping create federal and state policies, regulations, being member of national committees, etc. And there are going to be more such bodies in the near future centered around technology and AI. It's laudable that he is keeping himself updated and informed. Remember the judge who learned Java? It's like that.

cm2187 4y ago

Representatives have to do both, represent the interest of their voters, but also legislate on all sort of national topics, from financial regulations to defence matters. So it is very reasonable for a member of congress to become a specialist on a topic that may be of critical importance to the country one day. I wish more would have done that in the 90s when the internet and personal computers started being a big thing.

xerxesaa 4y ago

If this same person was deciding to spend 3-4 hours a day watching Netflix or playing basketball, this would not even be a question. He has a life outside of Congress and I see nothing wrong with using it to further his education.

HillRat 4y ago

He represents VA-08, which is basically 90% defense contractors, systems integrators, and technology consultants — there’s a reason he’s chair of Space and Aeronautics — so arguably this is right in his constituents’ wheelhouse.

snowwrestler 4y ago
To be more specific, his district includes the “National Landing” development which will include Amazon’s HQ2 and a Virginia Tech “innovation” campus, as well as the Thomas Jefferson magnet high school, the CIA, the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir… and many surrounding neighborhoods.

deleted 4y ago

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