A "Capitol" Idea

Wednesday July 20.  Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work we…oh, wait, not us.  We’re still on vacation!

U. S. Capitol Building

We got up at a reasonable hour to head back to DC.  We left, we thought, with time enough to allow for a short breakfast, but we were wrong.  We did end up parking, somewhat successfully, but the traffic and a little floundering around on our part had us already late for our meet-up time at Congressman Burgess’ office.  We walked VERY quickly over to the office, which was, of course, on the total opposite side of the Capitol.  Did I mention it was a bazillion degrees outside?

The office of Congressman Michael Burgess

We made it to the Rayburn building and we found the correct office.  We were hot and sweaty and we got there 15 minutes after our meeting time but they were happy to see us!  (The office had requested we get there half an hour prior to our actual tour time, so I guess that was okay.)  As it turned out, we were the only family there, as the other group postponed their tour.  So…hot…sweaty…hungry…we were ready.

Heeeere's Mark!

Mark “The Intern” earned points from me right away because he was from Plano AND he was a Baylor student (Sic’em Bears!) led us from Burgess’ office to the underground section that connects many of the buildings around the Capitol with the Capitol.  Pretty cool.

 

The Old Supreme Court

We first watched a movie shown in the visitors’ theater, then we were taken around the Capitol by Mark.  Both the House and the Senate were in session.  When we went to the gallery in the House, they were recessed, but we were able to watch the Senate in action and got to see an actual vote being taken, which tabled an attempt to sink the VA funding bill (http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/172529-senate-defeats-attempt-to-sink-va-funding-bill-).  The vote passed, with the statement, “we have agreed to reconsider what is to be considered.”  Wha?????

Standing on the "star" in the Rotunda

For the record, Texas Senator John Cornyn showed up to vote around number 80 and Kay Bailey Hutchison showed up around number 96.  I leaned over to Andrew at one point when a large group of Senators meandered in the door and said, “There’s the group back from lunch at TGI Friday’s.”  Wow.  The vote was to be taken at noon and they may have finished by 12:30.  They do not sit all orderly in their seats but they just walk around the room and chit-chat.  The vote was 69-30.  Someone abstained from voting.  Hmmm.  Cornyn and Hutchison both voted Aye.  Along with the Texas Senators, we saw Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Orrin Hatch, John Carey, and Al Franken, among others.  Pretty cool, huh?  (No photos were allowed to be taken inside the House nor the Senate, just FYI.  If they had NOT been in session, I believe it would have been fine.)

We followed our visit to the Capitol with lunch at restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue.  I tried a signature Korean dish called Bibimbap and it was delicious!  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap).

On Andrew’s list was the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum, which we walked to after lunch.  We spent quite a while there and we met some people who were from Plano.  We talked Boy Scouts with them, as the dad and both boys had been to Philmont, where Andrew just went this summer.  They were Texas Tech fans, but they were nice enough.  ;p

I’m not sure where we ate dinner but I’m sure it was excellent.  And something I shouldn’t have eaten.