House members racing to get back to Washington ahead of Wednesday’s vote on a measure that would reopen the government have taken matters into their own hands to ensure they get back in time.
As the government shutdown enters day 43, lawmakers have booked multiple flights, taken a train, driven, or, in the case of Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), ridden a motorcycle over 900 miles, to guarantee they are on Capitol Hill when it comes time to vote.
Van Orden started his journey back to the District on Monday, and chronicled his ride on his “b****** Harley Davidson” from Wisconsin in a series of social posts.
“You may ask, Derek, why are you on a Harley Davidson when it’s 32 degrees outside?,” he said in a video posted on Nov. 10. “This is why, our Senate colleagues finally came to their senses and passed that CR, so now we got to get back to Washington, DC, and vote on the bill.”
He continued, “But because they shut down the government, the Democrats, the flights are too unreliable. So I’m going to ride a motorcycle. It’s going to take about 16 hours or so. It’s going to be a little chilly, but I will do my duty. I’m getting back to DC. We’re going to get this country back on track.”
In another post, the Wisconsin Republican joked that Reps. Erin Houchin (R-IN) and Max Miller (R-OH) “owe” him dinner for tolls he paid, or was about to pay, in their states during his trip. “I’m essentially building your highways,” he quipped.
On Tuesday night, as the House Rules Committee convened to markup the government funding legislation passed by the Senate on Monday, Van Orden posted that he was in Somerset, Pennsylvania.
“It warmed up to a balmy 26 degrees,” Van Orden said. “It’s actually really beautiful here, but we’re hanging out for the night, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”
Reps. Dave Taylor (R-OH) also opted to drive back, with the freshman Republican telling the Washington Examiner that with any “little delay at the airport,” it’s faster for him to drive.
Taylor made the seven-and-a-half-hour drive back to D.C. on Tuesday afternoon. In an interview, Taylor said he usually opts to drive, but the delays due to the government shutdown were “one more reason not to try it.”
Rules Ranking Member Jim McGovern (D-MA) told reporters during a presser that he took the train back to make sure he made it in time for the Rules markup, before criticizing President Donald Trump and Republicans for not agreeing to an extension of expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies that Democrats have been demanding in exchange for reopening the government.
“I wish Donald Trump could have been on the train with me today and heard some of the stories that I heard, you know, but I don’t think he ever has been on the train. I don’t know. I don’t know. He lives in a bubble, but I wish some of my Republican colleagues were on that train.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) gave members a 36-hour notice to get back to Washington after the Senate passed a deal to fund the government until the end of January. But the protracted government shutdown has led to widespread delays and flight cancellations across the country.
The Federal Aviation Administration reduced flight capacity by 10% at 40 key airports last week as a result of staffing and safety concerns due to the lapse of funding during the government shutdown.
Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) told reporters Tuesday night that he was “lucky,” because his direct flight out of Oklahoma City only had an hour delay.
“I’m not moving from a big hub to another hub,” Cole said, “I was able to get home, because I was here last week, and turn around and get back in short order, relatively short delay, but I know enough of my other colleagues are having problems.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), who is scheduled to fly back to Washington on Wednesday morning, has multiple flights booked in case of cancellations, his office told the Washington Examiner. Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) is also scheduled to fly back tomorrow, per his office.
HOUSE FLICKERS BACK TO LIFE AS MIKE JOHNSON PREPARES SHUTDOWN VOTE
Johnson will need full attendance from his members to pass the government funding legislation, as he can only lose two votes if all Democrats vote against the legislation. Already, one Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (R-ME), who last week said he was retiring from Congress, has signaled he could vote for the measure.
On the Republican side, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has voiced concerns about provisions in the bill that would crack down on the hemp industry. Massie and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) were the two GOP nos on the House’s funding bill that passed in September.
The House is expected to start voting on the funding patch as early as 4 p.m.
