Before I realized how buying lunch at work every day quickly adds up, I often found myself in the Rayburn or Longworth cafeterias. Some days it was sushi, others it was a veggie burger with sweet potato fries, occasionally it was pizza, and on rare occasions I mustered the self-restraint to limit myself to a salad. This story takes place on one of those rare days.
I walked past the sushi, the burgers with the beautiful fries, and even the pizza. Discipline, I reminded myself. As I walked up to the salad bar, a man in front of me is leaning down to grab a to-go container. Wondering if he could take any longer, I patiently waited. Only when he stood back up, and turned around to offer me the extra container he grabbed did I realize this was Congressman Tom Price.
Let's back up for a minute. As you probably know, he is now Secretary of Health and Human Services. This encounter also took place the same week of his confirmation hearings, the first of which I attended. To make matters even more interesting, former Representative Price, hailing from Georgia's 6th Congressional District, served as my Member of Congress for many years while I grew up in Marietta, Georgia.
Despite my conflicting political beliefs, I decided to be courteous. Thank you Congressman, I replied with a smile as he handed me a box. As he began filling his up, I added that I'm from his district. Taken by surprised, he asked where I live, so we made some local small talk. He then continued to ask what brings me to the Hill. I'm a student intern here for the semester, I responded. And where do you go to school, he inquired. Ohio State, I announced proudly. This is where the conversation went south.
I'm sorry to hear that, the Congressman inserts without missing a beat. Your parents must still be mourning that decision.
Ouch.
Turns out, my former Congressman was a double Wolverine. I know. As it happens to be, so are the Congressman I work for and his chief of staff. You can say I've become accustomed to living in enemy territory.
I brushed it off with a light laugh, ha ha! I told him some of my closest childhood friends live in Ann Arbor now, and so far we still talk. I bid him a good day, and walked away with my salad.
On the Hill, you never know who you might run into. Sometimes you end up with amazing stories. Other days, you should have just gone for the pizza.
MK
I walked past the sushi, the burgers with the beautiful fries, and even the pizza. Discipline, I reminded myself. As I walked up to the salad bar, a man in front of me is leaning down to grab a to-go container. Wondering if he could take any longer, I patiently waited. Only when he stood back up, and turned around to offer me the extra container he grabbed did I realize this was Congressman Tom Price.
Let's back up for a minute. As you probably know, he is now Secretary of Health and Human Services. This encounter also took place the same week of his confirmation hearings, the first of which I attended. To make matters even more interesting, former Representative Price, hailing from Georgia's 6th Congressional District, served as my Member of Congress for many years while I grew up in Marietta, Georgia.
Despite my conflicting political beliefs, I decided to be courteous. Thank you Congressman, I replied with a smile as he handed me a box. As he began filling his up, I added that I'm from his district. Taken by surprised, he asked where I live, so we made some local small talk. He then continued to ask what brings me to the Hill. I'm a student intern here for the semester, I responded. And where do you go to school, he inquired. Ohio State, I announced proudly. This is where the conversation went south.
I'm sorry to hear that, the Congressman inserts without missing a beat. Your parents must still be mourning that decision.
Ouch.
Turns out, my former Congressman was a double Wolverine. I know. As it happens to be, so are the Congressman I work for and his chief of staff. You can say I've become accustomed to living in enemy territory.
I brushed it off with a light laugh, ha ha! I told him some of my closest childhood friends live in Ann Arbor now, and so far we still talk. I bid him a good day, and walked away with my salad.
On the Hill, you never know who you might run into. Sometimes you end up with amazing stories. Other days, you should have just gone for the pizza.
MK
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