See What Congress Is Doing on Its Summer Vacation - East Idaho News
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See What Congress Is Doing on Its Summer Vacation

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GETTY 81414 CapitolBldg?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1408047061285iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Forbes may have rated Washington, D.C. the coolest city in the nation — but lawmakers off for the August recess often find more to love in their home districts than in Washington.

Sure, high-profile meetings with international leaders are fun to brag about at a dinner party. But when two of your constituents are Buzz and Woody — now that’s pretty cool.

 

 

Of course, governing’s not all glitz and glamour. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty — literally. Here’s what Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., did during his day-long stint as on Freund’s Farm:

 

 

While Murphy shoveled manure, Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., ventured into high-tech:

 

 

And Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., delved into arachnology. Meanwhile, animal-loving Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, threw a birthday bash for his puppies.

Rep. Illeanna Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., snuggled her brand-new grandbaby, and Rep. Hartzler celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary with a #TBT-worthy shot of her and her groom.

But if you thought members of Congress were all stodgy suits, think again. Some wear costumes, some don uniforms, and some ditch the shirt entirely. Other congressional fitness buffs kept their twelve packs under wraps. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who lost his mother to multiple myeloma, biked to raise money for cancer research.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., angled to play catch on the Vikings practice field. And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., scaled a rock wall.

Some lawmakers were not so healthy-minded. In fact, self-proclaimed chocaholic and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., served as a guest judge on TLC’s new pastry show, Next Great Baker.

And lest you think the August recess is all fun and games — former opthomologist Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., for example, “restored vision” to three pro-bono patients in his home district.


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