Republicans evict some Democrats from their Capitol offices. Here are most desired digs

With their leader ousted, House Republicans are waging office wars against Democrats, kicking two from their Capitol Hill perches.

Following the unprecedented vote Oct. 3 to remove Kevin McCarthy as house speaker, the interim speaker, Patrick McHenry, ordered Nancy Pelosi to “vacate” her office by Oct. 4, according to Roll Call.

The room would be re-assigned and re-keyed, an email from McHenry said, according to NPR.

“This eviction is a sharp departure from tradition,” Pelosi, a California representative and former house speaker, said in a statement provided to McClatchy News. “As Speaker, I gave former Speaker [Dennis] Hastert a significantly larger suite of offices for as long as he wished.”

“Office space doesn’t matter to me, but it seems to be important to them,” Pelosi added.

Steny Hoyer, the former Democratic majority leader from Maryland, was also dislodged from his digs, his spokeswoman told McClatchy News.

Pelosi and Hoyer, both former party leaders, maintained secondary “hideaway” offices in the Capitol Building, per Axios, allowing them quick access to the House chamber.

The pair’s sudden displacement draws attention to the office politics in Congress. Just like many American work spaces, there is squabbling over who gets the corner office.

‘Coveted’ Capitol Hill offices

The 535 members of Congress and their staff are housed in a sprawling complex on Capitol Hill. House members are assigned their offices based on a lottery system and seniority, while senators choose work spaces solely based on seniority.

Between the House and the Senate, there are at least 10 different office buildings, but they are not all created equal.

The Rayburn House Office Building, built in 1955, is “coveted by Members because of the conveniences, amenities, and space—not to mention natural light pouring through large windows and views of the Capitol,” according to the Architect of the Capitol.

On the other hand, the Cannon and Longworth buildings are considered “undesirable,” according to Roll Call. Both buildings lack easy access to the Capitol, and, as of 2015, the drinking water in the Cannon building was contaminated with lead.

The most sought after spaces, though, are a collection of offices, including those recently occupied by Pelosi and Hoyer, inside the Capitol Building itself.

These rooms, known as hideaways, are secondary offices granted to only a handful of representatives, typically those in leadership. The speaker of the house, for example, has a large office suite near the House chamber.

Senators, on the other hand, all have access to their own hideaway office, though some are cushier than others, according to NBC News.

“They bear room numbers but no names,” according to the outlet. “Some are hidden in plain sight, along corridors used by thousands of unknowing tourists. The portals to others hide beyond massive statues. Still others are crammed in the spaces around rotundas, or at the ends of hallways with multiple sets of stairs. Many can’t be found without a guide.”

In 2010, according to NBC, a third-floor corner suite once occupied by Sen. Ted Kennedy was considered the “ultimate” hideaway.

Historically, these hidden chambers have been used for private meetings, social gatherings and as quiet rooms to catch some z’s between votes.

In 1945, Vice President Harry Truman was drinking in Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn’s hideaway when he received word of President Franklin Roosevelt’s death, according to the Knoxville Focus.

Barbara Mikulski, who served as a Maryland senator until 2017, hosted “power coffees” for women legislators in her hideaway, according to Politico.

This story was originally published October 4, 2023 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Republicans evict some Democrats from their Capitol offices. Here are most desired digs."