For those who say Democrats and Republicans in Washington can't find common ground, consider this: House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have issued a statement announcing that the nearly 200-year-old House page program will end August 31, according to the full release posted by Kathryn Jean Lopez at National Review.

Along with inspiring the occasional sordid scandal (the most recent of which contributed to the defeat of Florida Republican Mark Foley in 2008), the program also costs $5 million annually to operate, according to the numbers provided in the press release. According to The Hill, the program currently "employs nearly 70 high school students to serve as messengers and couriers on the House floor and around the Capitol complex." In their statement, Boehner and Pelosi cited the "prohibitive cost of the program and advances in technology that have rendered most Page-provided services no longer essential to the smooth functioning of the House," adding that they've "directed the House Historian to prepare an official history of the House Page Program as a tribute to the many Pages, Members of Congress and congressional staff who have contributed to the program over the years."

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Ray Gustini