N.H. Staffs in D.C. Back After Storm
By Daniel Remin
WASHINGTON — Most of the New Hampshire delegation’s congressional offices opened yesterday in the wake of this week’s snowstorm.
Heavy snow Sunday and Monday resulted in businesses closing and the subway not operating at full speed. The storm forced the federal government to close yesterday; Monday was a federal holiday, Presidents Day.
“The employees that live close enough and can make it in safely are here now,” said T.J. Crawford, press secretary to Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H. “I, for example, live a block and a half from the office, so it wasn’t a problem for me to get in today.”
Out of a staff of seven, three people – Crawford and two legislative assistants – were working in Bradley’s office yesterday. Two others, Crawford said, were in New Hampshire with the congressman, who was to have his first town hall meeting last night and a second one today.
Although some congressional aides were in their offices, Capitol Hill was quieter than usual because most lawmakers already had left town for a weeklong recess. At the office of Rep. Charlie Bass, R-N.H., most aides were able to get to work yesterday.
“As a New Hampshire office, the snow and ice hasn’t affected our ability to get to work despite the size of the storm,” said Jeff Grappone, a legislative correspondent. “We are adept at navigating ice and snow.”
The office of Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., also was staffed yesterday morning, according to press secretary Barbara Riley. “We have a few staffers in: our legislative director, a staff assistant who’s handling the telephones (and) a press assistant,” Riley said. “Other staff will be coming in as they can make it in from their homes.”
The office of Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., was closed yesterday. For those who did show up, work continued as normal despite the weather and the absence of most senators and representatives.
“My job stays the same,” Crawford said. “I’m still handling all the press operations. The LAs (legislative assistants) that are here will continue to do their legislative (work). The fact that it’s the Presidents Day work week is not going to slow things down for us.”
Riley said Sununu kept his schedule in New Hampshire except for two events, including one at a school, which was closed.
Unlike people in New Hampshire, most people in Washington are not used to so much snow.
“It’s funny because down here in D.C., they don’t handle the snow quite as well as people in New Hampshire,” Crawford said. “This is a state of emergency in D.C. The city shutting down comes as a surprise to a few people from New Hampshire who are so used to snow like this.”
(Daniel Remin is an intern with the Boston University Washington News Service.)
Published in The Manchester Union Leader, in New Hampshire.
