Is Jon Stewart right that Congress often worked on Christmas?

By Bill Adair
December 9, 2011

We don’t usually check comedians, but a factual claim by Jon Stewart piqued our interest.

The Daily Show host said members of Congress in the 1700s and early 1800s often worked on Christmas. He cited a clip from the History Channel.

Really?

PolitiFact Rhode Island dug into the congressional attendance records and discovered Congress actually rarely met on Christmas.

Our Sources

See Truth-O-Meter item.