If you’ve ever been stuck on hold with a congressional office in the past, at least you’ve been able to enjoy some good patriotic music, as opposed to the lilting tones of generic smooth jazz that have been driving elevator users insane for decades. For years, congressional offices have played patriotic anthems as the background music during hold times.

Not any more. After we were startled by the hold music when we called a House office recently, sources on Capitol Hill informed us this week that the Democratic House leadership has made a sweeping decision that congressional offices now have the options of “smooth jazz” elevator music or no music at all.

Michigan Republican Fred Upton sent a letter to House Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Beard, who reports to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, this week to protest this decision:

Upon contacting CAO Telecommunications it has come to my attention that as of Tuesday, August 11th all “holding” music was changed at your request from the traditional patriotic songs to elevator music. CAO Telecommunications affirmed that congressional offices currently have no choice in the genre of music played, but merely are given the option between the elevator music on hold or no music at all, despite the fact that we’ve had the patriotic music for years!

According to Upton, no notification was sent to inform congressional offices of this change, and there was no monetary benefit to the taxpayers for making it. “Callers routinely express their delight in listening to a few notes of Americana while briefly waiting for their call to go through,” Upton writes, adding: “We should proudly embrace our nation’s patriotic songs, not callously shun them for elevator music.”

Clearly, this is the kind of change America was craving with the election of such a wide Democratic majority — out with the old musty tunes of patriotism, in with the jazz flute.

As for being on hold: I apologize if, during my tenure as a staffer on Capitol Hill, I was the one who stuck you there. But at least you can say that the music you heard was the sort that Americans have stood up and taken their hats off to over the years, as opposed to the kind designed to put older constituents to sleep. If the death panels won’t do it, the congressional hold music will.

Update: That didn’t take long! We’ve just had an update from the Hill that the Leadership staff ordered the CAO to make a change this morning as this story broke, and yank those old patriotic tunes back onto the hold music. Quote coming shortly.

And here it is: “Now that our patriotic tunes have mysteriously reappeared at lightning speed after reports this morning of the switch, if only Pelosi would respond in similar fashion to the majority of Americans who want the plug pulled on her budget busting health care and energy plans,” says a Hill veteran. At least if you’re seeking a response, you’ll have some patriotic music to listen to while they keep you on hold. Chalk another one up for the blogosphere getting a response!