While British lawmakers were called back into session to debate that nation’s involvement in military action against ISIS, U.S. lawmakers have been everywhere but Washington.

On TV, congressional leaders have said they would meet to debate the issues, but only if President Barack Obama asks.

As Jon Stewart learned on Monday night’s “Daily Show,” these politicians don’t actually need the president to call them into session to start debating.

So why are they hiding? Stewart found a rare bit of honesty from the most unlikely source: an actual member of Congress, who admits that lawmakers are better off just sitting on the sidelines and criticizing the president than actually meeting and debating.

And that left Stewart fuming.

Check out his rant in the clip above.