Washington, D.C.'s new ban on indoor smoking won't apply to the U.S. Congress, which routinely exempts itself from such workplace regulations, the New York Times reported Feb. 12.

Visitors to Capitol Hill can find House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) smoking cigarettes between votes, and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) is known to smoke cigars in the Speaker's lobby. Ashtrays can be found in the Capitol's reception area for use by lawmakers

Few members of Congress are willing to talk about the rules or their own smoking habits. But many feel that banning smoking would be caving in to political correctness.

"What will happen is someone will come along and ruin this last bit of fun," said Christopher Buckley, author of "Thank You for Smoking," a satirical novel that follows the story of a tobacco lobbyist. "As sure as night will follow day, now some aging senator or Congressional page will come down with lung cancer and sue the United States government ... and that last bit of fun will be foreclosed."

"Congress generally has rules for us and rules for them, and the rules for them are very often more pleasant than the rules for us," added Buckley.

"They exist on their own island," agreed Vincent Morris, a spokesman for D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams. "We would not be able to enforce the smoking ban in the speaker's lobby."