Congress Freshman
Some things never change …
In the same way that children get giddy on the first day of school, so, too, do politicians get excited on their first day as members of Congress. Monday on Capitol Hill was Orientation Day for incoming House freshman — and it showed.
As lots of new faces wandered the halls of the Cannon House Office Building, pols-to-be asked for directions to the bathroom, while trailing journalists hurriedly asked each other, “Is that one a freshman?”
“It’s like the first day of school,” said Rep.-elect Parker Griffith, D-Ala., and he wasn’t the only new member of the 111th Congress with a thrill up his leg. Rep.-elect Michael McMahon, D-N.Y., has been in D.C. for less than 24 hours and had already attended two cocktail parties.
“Is it always this fun?” he asked Yeas & Nays. (No.)
Other members-to-be, including Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., cited the “spectacular” steak dinner they enjoyed Sunday night at the Library of Congress followed by a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building led by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. Of course, it was a Democrats-only dinner, which will help these rookies learn partisanship at an early age. (On Monday night, they were treated to another, bipartisan dinner in National Statuary Hall.)
Although they’ll have to wait until Friday’s lottery in order to see what offices they’ll occupy, that hasn’t stopped some of them from planning. Kirkpatrick plans to represent her district by hanging pictures of members from 11 American Indian tribes and Betsy Markey, D-Colo., plans on “prominently displaying” Colorado tumbleweed.
Monday’s welcoming event comes at the end of a long campaign for most. Markey, for instance, campaigned for 17 months in order to turn her red seat blue—and she has yet to receive a phone call to concede from her opponent, Rep. Marilyn Musgrave. But at least she was a clear winner. For others, the situation was far less certain, which causes scenes like this: Charlie Brown and Tom McClintock –who are still awaiting the final verdict in their pursuit of California’s 4th District – both decided to show up for Monday’s orientation festivities. Brown said that he wished a final verdict were known by now, but that “he was encouraged by the voter turnout.” Was it awkward to be in the same room as McClintock? “No,” replied Brown.
Mary Jo Kilroy and Steve Stivers also both showed up, despite the fact that their race in Ohio’s 15th congressional District is still up in the air.
When all was said and done, what did everyone think of our fair city? Washingtonians are “much more laid-back” than New Yorkers, said McMahon, but “getting coffee is much more of a process.” Heinrich said D.C. was “much more urban” and admitted it’s “easier to ask for directions” in his home state of New Mexico.
Where will these folks choose to live? Naturally, Capitol Hill was the most popular locale mentioned, but some are making plans elsewhere. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., would love to live in Georgetown or Dupont (“all within budget, of course”), areas that provide a little more nightlife for the 27-year-old. Pedro Pierluisi calls himself a “GW guy” having attended law school there, so look for him looking at places in Foggy Bottom or Dupont (his whole family will relocate from Puerto Rico to D.C., he said).
Too cool for school
Not everyone was captivated by Monday’s orientation festivities for incoming congressman. Rep.-elect Dan Maffei, D-N.Y. – a former staffer for Rep. Charlie Rangel – told Yeas & Nays that the “mundane” gathering was was the “most boring meeting [he’s] ever been to in Cannon,” and said he spent most of his day “hugging staffers,” something that his fellow members soon began to copy. But the complaints didn’t stop there: Maffei moaned about how staffers now have a gym that didn’t exist during his time with Rangel – and now that he’s a member, he can’t use it!
